Mitigate
by Hypermanic
Summary: There was something about the girl that was calm. Too calm. So calm that it reflected on him. Shizuo x OC.
1. Chapter 1

**Mitigate**

**Characters/Pairing:**** Shizou Heiwajima X OC (Yes, CanonxOC)  
****Genre:**** Romance(ish)/Humor(ish)  
****Rating:**** K-T  
****Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizou. TT^TT  
****Comments:**** I really wanted to write a fic like this after watching the anime, so I thought, "Why the hell not?" So here we are. First story posted in a while, hm? Dunno where this is going, and I doubt that I'll write it for any other reason than my own pleasure. Enjoy.~**

**Chapter 1:**

The first time I saw him, I'd been walking home from a solo "shopping spree". I had a couple of bags with groceries and necessities in one hand and a few bags with different hair dyes, bits of stationary and sketch pads in the other.

I had just pulled out a small chocolate bar (which came out of the "necessities" bag, by the way) when I heard the commotion. I looked up to see a crowd gathered on the street, some cheering and others booing at whatever was going on.

I broke a piece of the chocolate off, popped it in my mouth, and walked over – curiosity would _definitely _get me killed one day. I slipped through the mob, which seemed eager to let me, and stared at the sight before me. There was never a stranger sight that I'd seen, and I'd seen a lot of strange sights back in Numazu.

A man with short black hair had just bid goodbye when I pushed through the crowd. The tall, blonde (and unbelievably good-looking) blonde it was directed at, was now lifting a _vending machine_, growling about not letting him get away. He threw the vending machine with ease, the muscles in his arms straining against the sleeves of his white shirt.

Just at that moment, I heard a strange "Oh!" sound, and a huge black man – who, I guess, fell out of the sky? – jumped in and stopped the vending machine, causing him to skid back a few inches.

I don't know what came over me when I turned back to be engrossed by the blonde man (who I now noticed, was wearing bartender clothing). My breath caught in my throat and my chest constricted. I most have lost my mind to think that he looked _so handsome_ when he was obviously mad as hell. I let out a shaky breath as he charged at the big man, who was repeatedly telling him that "fighting is bad".

They fought for a few minutes, the bigger man seemingly refusing to do anything but stop the attacks he could. He didn't get all of them though, and he got a few good hits to his face. I have to say, I admired him for standing up against te blonde without attacking him in return.  
After a bit, the fight cooled down, and the blonde man turned to leave. And that's when he noticed me. I didn't realize until a few second later that the reason he was staring directly at me was because everyone else had either left out of self-preservation or boredom (not that I could see what was boring). I felt heat spread throughout my face.

I watched as his eyebrow began to tick. I just stood there. My brain couldn't seem to send the signal to my feet and get them to move. He changed his direction and started to stalk towards me. And all I could do was stand there, try not to hyperventilate and try – and fail – to get my feet to move.

Lady Luck smiled on me then. Not only did she grant me control of my legs, but she also placed a truck between us and made my phone ring (which also caused me to jump 50 feet in the air). I quickly pulled out my phone and blinked when I saw that I had five missed calls from my sister. I stuffed the phone back in my pocket, gathered my bags and skedaddled as quickly as I could.  
I ran through the streets, earning weird looks and general irritation. I ran all the way back to the apartment block I was staying at and bolted up the stairs before skidding to a halt outside my shared apartment. I was sure he wasn't chasing me, and I'm not sure _why _I ran. But I did.

And it turned out that next time Lady Luck would not let me have such a smooth escape.

**~ Chapter Word Count: 659**

**End Comments: That's chapter one for you guys. You'll find out about the OC in the next chappy as she introduces herself Hope you enjoyed - read and review and all that jazz. See ya.~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments:**** Hm? What's this? Chapter 2? Yep, that's right. I'm enjoying writing this ficcy, so I'll try to chug out a few more chapters before slowing down. :D Enjoy.~**

**Chapter 2:**

The next time I saw him, I was sitting by the fountain in the park. A week had passed, and I could barely remember his face, to be honest. My memory wasn't the greatest thing ever.  
I'd been sitting there for a while, just reading and earning strange looks that I didn't feel I deserved…Or maybe I did? I was sitting there reading a dictionary after all. Yeah….Bad habit….

Anyway, I'd been planning to spend my day there, in the same spot. And I did, by falling asleep around noon. That wasn't part of the plan. It also wasn't smart. The rocks weren't good for my back and I could have lost something. But, from my reckoning, I must have looked like I was still awake, reading the book. No one noticed that I didn't turn the page, or they didn't care.

Either way, I slept for a good while. It was…refreshing. Just like the wakeup call I got at about eight-thirty.

It started as a prod in my arm. And I ignored it, because I'm not good at waking up…Just ask my sister. Then the prodding got harder and I tried to swat the…whatever…away. Except, what I realized was a hand, came back on shook my shoulder roughly. I could hear someone saying "Oi, lady, wake up…"

When I opened an eye to see who was talking – because I _knew_ it wasn't my sister after that smooth yet gruff and distinctly _male_ voice – it was him. I recognized him the instant I opened my brown eyes. He was standing over me, frowning, one hand on my shoulder and the other holding tinted glasses.

But before I could do anything else, I tipped over and fell in the fountain.

Lady Luck had _definitely_ cursed me after my little escape a week ago.

I sat up, coughing, and soaked to the bone. I shook my head and ran a hand over my eyes. The heat was back in my face and I felt scared to move. And that's when I noticed the hand.  
I stared at it through my long, dark gold-ish bangs. I followed the hand, up the arm and to the face of the owner. He was staring down at me in surprise, as if he didn't expect for me to fall over…Which he probably didn't.

I turned back to the hand in front of me. When I slid my own into it, I noticed that it fit comfortably inside his. I felt the blush in my cheeks increase ten-fold. His fingers curled around my hand as he pulled me up, surprisingly gently for the man I had seen last week, on to my feet. I glanced down at my book – dictionary – that was lying in the fountain, soaking up the water like a sponge. I'd have to get myself a new one. I leaned over and picked it up, smiling amusedly, before slipping it into the plastic bag I'd brought with me.

I glanced back at the man and blushed as I quickly slid my hand out of his. "Thanks."

I felt extremely awkward at that point. I glanced up at the tall blonde in front of me. He looked handsome as ever, and the blush, which never seemed to _go away_, increased even more.

Despite myself, I could feel my lips tilt up. "I'm Kouno Hana, nice to meet you." I don't know what made me introduce myself that day, but the urge was strong. He looked surprised as well, but he reached up and shook my hand anyway.

"I'm Heiwajima Shizuo." I nodded and let my hand drop before glanced around. The sun had already set. "Uh…What time is it?" I turned back to the man in front of me.

"Eight-forty." That surprised me. I'd slept for that long? I sighed and shivered as the breeze hit me. A turtle-neck wasn't very effective when it was wet. I glanced up as Shizuo pulled out a packet of cigarettes and slipped one between his lips, causing me to promptly look away blushing. Bad, _bad_ train of thought. I swallowed and forced myself to calm down.

I bent down and picked up the now wet plastic bag and my "outdoor essentials" bag and gave Shizuo a small smile. "Sorry for the trouble. And thanks again for waking me up." I was getting nervous at Shizuo's look. "I'd better get home."

I shivered again as the wind blew harder. I was gonna get ill by the time I did get back.

It was then I decided that someone, _someone_ out there hated me enough to want to embarrass me to no end. Why? Because Shizuo had just offered me his black vest to help against the cold, and the blush that rose in my cheeks made me feel like I was glowing red.

I swallowed and shivered again. I bit my lip as I took the vest and wrapped it around my shoulders, whispering a hoarse "thank you" as the warmth engulfed me. I wasn't surprised at the warmth of the vest, but I was surprised at the tingling sensation I received from it. But even when I looked up into his serious face, I felt my lips stretch into a small grin. He seemed a little bit disturbed by that. I let out a small giggle and beckoned as I began to walk.

Maybe he wasn't as scary and mean as the people – who were giving us a wide berth – made him out to be?

**~ Chapter Word Count: 917**

**End Comments: So, the character's name is Hana Kouno (first-last). There's a picture of her on my DeviantART account. The link to my account is on my profile. Now how many of you were waiting for her to fall in the fountain? ;D~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Yay for another chapter! ^^ I'm getting back into the writing mood. :D  
Thanks to kimkakashi and Self Helpless for the reviews. Cookies for you. XD On to the story!**

**Chapter 3:**

I felt so much safer with Shizuo there that night. The area around my apartment wasn't the safest place at night and I would always feel extremely jittery as I walked home.

But that night, with Shizuo next to me, answering my questions and asking his own, I felt so calm. I felt like none of the gangs or groups around my building could touch me.

I asked him minor questions to begin with and he seemed suspicious at first, but he soon relaxed and asked me questions in return. I told him about my sister, Minori, who still lived in Numazu. I explained to him that I had come to Ikebukuro for a change of scenery. Minor things.

I learnt about him too. I learnt that he worked as a bodyguard of sorts for a debt-collector called Tom. He told me that he had trouble controlling his temper, that his body would move on its own, and that he could easily send me through a wall if I got him angry. I had to laugh at that, and he seemed fairly disturbed at that. I patted his arm, promising to do my best not to. He also told me about his little brother, (but only after I noticed him starring at one of the bill-boards that read "Don't drink and drive. It's a promise between you and I" across it) the actor, Hanejima Yuhei, or Heiwajima Kasuka.

Somehow, I got the feeling that, though he would never admit it, he loved his little brother very much. That, in itself, made me smile happily.

It was almost nine-thirty when I got home. I hopped up the steps and turned back to Shizuo. He looked incredibly handsome in the slight light from the lamppost. I bit my lip and quickly shrugged off his vest. It was wet too, and I handed it back to him, giving him a small smile as thanks and as an apology.

He took the vest and swung it over his shoulder before nodding and turning to leave. I bit my lip and hesitated at the idea. What's the worst that could happen?  
"A-Ano, Heiwajima-san?" He glanced back at me, and I felt the words catch in my throat. "A-Ano…I stay in Room Ten on the second floor…If you ever need to…talk or vent…my door is always open…"

I'll freely admit that I didn't know what to make of his expression. It was a mixture of blatant surprise and suspicion, and when the cigarette fell out of his mouth, I had to let out a small laugh. I wonder how many people saw that expression from him.

"Ah. I might take you up on that offer…" I waved at him happily at those words and opened the door behind me.

"Thanks for walking me home, Heiwajima-san." I gave him one last wave, and, the surprise now gone, he raised his hand in farewell as he turned away. I stepped into the empty lobby and shut the door behind me.

He truly was a strange man.

I was lying on the sofa at eleven-thirty, my legs draped over the back and my hair resting on the floor. I'd dropped my bags and immediately change my clothes as soon as I stepped into my apartment. Then I'd lain down on the sofa. And I hadn't moved since then.

I'm not sure _what_ I was doing; I just didn't want to do anything else. I wasn't feeling sleepy and my sister had already phoned me that night. She phoned me every night, to tell me about her day and ask how I was doing. I could tell she missed me, and she'd admitted so often that I'd lost count. I never felt irritation towards her when I came home and immediately had to pick up the phone. Talking with Minori always made me feel calmer.

I smiled at that. Minori had never liked being far from me. So I guessed that this was quite a step for her.

I lay there for another half hour before sitting up. My thoughts trailed to the offer I made Shizuo. Was it _too_ open? I only wanted to help. From the way he answered my queries, he wasn't too happy with the incredible strength he had. And that made me worried.

He was bound to need someone to talk to, right? It couldn't be healthy for him to keep all those feelings bottled up, right? It would help him out, right? I rubbed my forehead.  
Was I too forward? Would he bother taking up the offer? Would he avoid me now? All these questions ran amuck in my head, each one presenting itself with a new light.

"Ahhh! This isn't helping!" I threw myself back, momentarily forgetting that I was sitting backwards. I tumbled backwards onto and over the coffee table behind me and rolled back until I hit the blue wall, upside down. I blinked multiple times before huffing. Despite my irritation at myself, I could feeling the laughter bubble up in my chest and I had to wrap my hands firmly over my mouth to keep from laughing loud enough to wake my neighbors (if they hadn't woken already).

I rolled to the side and held my dizzy head between my hands. My lips were still stretched into a grin. I looked up at the gentle knock on my door.

"Ano, Kouno-san? Are you okay?" It was the kind lady who lived on the other side of the wall I had rolled into.

"Hai! Gomen!" I called out quietly, pushing myself off the ground. I heard her footsteps head back to her apartment and I sighed. Glancing at the clock, I nodded. I would think about all those irritating questions in the morning.

The only thing that mattered at that point was my bed and my soft pillows.

**~ Chapter Word Count: 977**

**End Comments: This chapter is more of a slight filler chapter, I guess… (ALREADY?) But, it does give you a chance to learn about Hana. I hope she doesn't seem…I dunno, flat? Or irritating? Let me know.~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: I am not happy with this chapter, so I have nothing to say about it. On with the story!~**

**Chapter 4:**

I had spent three weeks in Ikebukuro. The first of those weeks had passed by with only one important event. The next passed with fairly good events – like me finding a job and properly meeting Shizuo.

And the last, had been a nightmare in the making.

It began with my money being stolen. Then, I broke my hand when it got caught between the doors of an elevator. Then I lost the keys to my apartment, the same day as when I dropped the picture of my sister and me out the window. Even more irritating was my neighbor's "party" which didn't let me get any sleep until five in the morning (two hours before I had to get ready for work. And then, to get ready, put my cup of coffee on the table and have said table collapse as soon as I turned away…Well, let's just say, I felt like I was cursed.

Add onto that, the depression that came with scaring away Shizuo (I hadn't seen him since the fountain incident, which had been at the start of the second week). I think that was close to my breaking point.

All in all, I felt depressed and angry.

The strangest thing, however, happened during the weekend. My wrist was still sore, but it wasn't in a cast anymore (just bandages).

I was sitting in West Gate Park again, not _by_ the fountain this time, but on a bench across from it. I had my legs up, with my arms wrapped around them. My forehead was leaning against my knees and I was scrutinizing the folds and creases in my khaki combats and loose green top. The sleeves, which were a tad too long, had slipped down to my elbows and they hung loosely at my sides.

I had been sitting in the same position for a while, when I heard someone sit beside me. I didn't bother glancing up, hoping he would leave me alone. He didn't.

"Bad day?" The voice was definitely male, with a strange lilting quality. It was smooth, but with a slight dangerous undertone.

I huffed and I heard the stranger chuckle. I didn't like it. It seemed almost teasing, but in menacing way. I didn't like a single bit.

I glanced up at him then, and I realized that he looked vaguely familiar; short black hair that fell over his face and narrow brown eyes that were staring down at me in seemingly sinister amusement. His lips were curved into a smirk and his hands were stuffed in the pockets of his furry black jacket as he leaned back against the bench and stretched his legs out.

I grimaced at him. "Bad week would be more accurate." I turned my head pointedly away, hoping he would take the hint and go away. He didn't.

"Wanna talk about it?" Despite the fact that he asked, I got the feeling that either way, he didn't really care. I turned slightly so I could see him from the corner of my eye.

"Forgive me for asking…" I turned my face to look at him properly. His eyes were wide with curiosity, though I couldn't tell if it was fake. "…But who are you?"

He laughed again and I frowned inwardly as he pushed himself off the bench and swung around to face me. "I'm Orihara Izaya. Nice to meet you."

I stood up and bowed. "I'm Kouno Hana." He nodded, smiling, and threw himself back onto the bench.

I stared at him for a minute. The smirk that was stretched across his face made me feel nervous. I did _not _like the vibe I was getting from this guy.

He waved his hand at me. "Don't worry. My hobby isn't hurting young girls…" And at those words, despite the half of me which wanted to turn around walk the other way, I sat down beside him.

"So, Hana-chan, why did you come to Ikebukuro?" I glanced at him sharply and he grinned knowingly. "You don't act like an Ikebukuroer."

I blinked. "Ikebukuroer?" I shook my head at the seemingly childish behavior of this man. "I…wanted a change of scenery…" It couldn't hurt to tell the truthful answer to this question, could it?

He nodded knowingly. "You wanted a change in lifestyle, so you came here. But, life here will eventually become normal to you too."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Tokyo is a big place. Ikebukuro isn't the only place to see." He laughed again. This man was starting to irritate me.

"So you'll just keep moving every time you get bored? That doesn't sound like much fun…" He smiled at me again, brown eyes assessing my every move.

"Every town carries something different. There's always _something_ that'll make it worth-while." Pulling my legs up, I crossed them and rubbed my wrist. The dull ache wouldn't go away.

"That's true." He glanced at my wrist, still grinning. "Hurt it?"

I couldn't help roll my eyes at that. "Yes…I…got it caught between the elevator doors back in my apartment building.

"Ouch."

"Yeah…" Despite my intense dislike for the aura this guy gave off, he sure was easy to talk to. Or maybe that was my excuse. I wanted someone to talk to, and my sister had often pointed out the bad habit that I had of not telling anyone anything unless they specifically asked. She hadn't asked, so I couldn't talk to her. Simon hadn't asked either, so I couldn't talk to him. I hadn't even seen Shizuo, let alone talked to him. But this guy, Orihara Izaya, did.

"So, Hana-chan, now will you tell me what's got you so depressed?" And I did. I spilled my guts.

Looking back on it, it probably wasn't…No, it _definitely_ wasn't the smartest thing I've done. In fact, it's nowhere near smart. It was downright stupid. Orihara had an analytical mind. He could pick out all the details of what you tell him, and fill in the parts you didn't, quite accurately, I might add.

On top of that, he was pretty much a complete stranger. The only thing I knew about him was his name. And yet, I told him everything that had happened to me since I came to Ikebukuro. Granted, it wasn't much, but it was enough for him.

When I finished, he still had that same knowing smirk in place. And yet, I couldn't find the irritation that had repeatedly formed. And that had me frowning. Was I getting along with this guy just because he listened to me problems? I wanted to smash my head against the wall.

He just nodded to himself after thinking about it for a minute. He jumped up and I followed suit, unsure what he was up to. He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet for a few seconds, before pushing himself around to face me.

He placed a hand on my shoulder and swung himself around to be behind me. I was just about to turn around and ask him what he was doing, when…_something_…smashed into the place he had been barely two seconds ago.

I swung my head around and stared at the mangled contraption. It looked like…a vending machine?

**~ Chapter Word Count: 1208**

**End Comments: Gah! I can't right Izaya properly. Failed chapter, I know. ~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Don't really know what to say about this chapter…Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing. Cookies for you!~**

**Chapter 5:**

I didn't know what to do. A _vending machine _had just _crashed_ a few feet from me. What the hell _could_ I do?

Izaya was laughing again, his hand still firmly holding my shoulder.

"_Izaya!_" I blinked at the familiar voice. I turned to look at the source.

Shizuo was stalking towards us, a sign post gripped tightly in his hand. He looked angry. No scratch that. He looked furious.

"Shizu-chan! Look!" Izaya pulled me in front of himself, causing Shizuo to stop in his tracks as recognition passed in his eyes. He glared at Izaya, as I struggled to hold in my reaction to _Shizu-chan_.

"Isn't she cute?" He paused when I tried to stamp on his foot, hop-skipping to dodge my attack and tightening his grip on my shoulder to the point where it hurt as he did so. "I thought she could be a wonderful addition to our game."

Shizuo lost his control then. With a roar, he swung the sign post in a wide arc, and I did the first thing that came to mind: duck.

I bent my knees and dropped to the ground. At the same time, Izaya's hold on my shoulder disappeared as he danced out of reach.

I glanced back at him as he pranced away backwards waving his hand above his head. Shizuo threw the sign post at him, yelling as he did so, but he smoothly side-stepped, the same teasing grin still plastered across his face. "Bye-bye, Hana-chan, Shizu-chan!" And then he was gone, disappearing into the crowds.

As Shizuo stepped forward, I tried to push myself up, but my knees were shaking; I couldn't stand. It was the first time I noticed how _scary_ Shizuo could be. I glanced up when I noticed his feet beside me. I turned back to stare at the concrete, trying to regulate my breathing and trying to calm down. I was surprised by the emotions that flowed through me when I looked at him: anger, happiness, relief, fear, and so many others that came and passed within a split-second.

But…_He swung a sign post at me!_ Well, okay, not me specifically, but if I hadn't moved, I doubt Izaya would have been kind enough to pull or push me out of the way.

"You okay?" I closed my eyes at the sound of his gruff voice. He sounded a little nervous, but I brushed it off as my imagination.

"I don't think I can stand…"As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt a hand wrap around my arm as he pulled me to my feet. My knees were still shaking and I quickly grabbed a hold of the bench, pulling my arm out of his grasp in the progress. I stared at him. His blond hair was noticeably messier than usual and his glasses were nowhere in sight, just like the first time I saw him. His white shirt was only slightly unclean, as were his black vest and trousers. He looked normal, except for the fury still lurking in his eyes.

_What the hell_ had Izaya done to get him _this_ mad?

"Did he do anything to you?"

I blinked at that. Random...? "Uh…No…."

"Did you tell him anything?"

I winced at _that_. "I…might have told him…everything that happened since I came to Ikebukuro…."

I muttered the last part as quietly as I could, but he _still_ heard me. His hands were suddenly holding my arms in a bruising grip and he was furiously glaring at me. Wait, why was he angry at me? Shouldn't it have been the other way around?

"Baka. Why in the hell did you tell that flea _anything_?" He was shouting again, and it made me head hurt. As much as I liked his voice, I didn't like it when he was shouting at me…

The only thing I could do was murmur "Because he asked…" quietly. I didn't have the courage to do anything else at that point. I wouldn't even look at him. After all, _he swung a sign post at me!_

His hands tightened and I winced at the sudden pain that shot through my arms. My wrist began to throb again and I tried to focus my attention on something else, and suddenly a (fairly random) thought popped up in my head. Was the key to Shizuo patience?

I turned my attention inwards. I didn't want to get on Shizuo's bad side, not at all. But he seemed to be detached, to some extent, when he wasn't raging around the city like a mad man. But he wasn't a bad guy, not by a long shot. That much I could tell, from the answers I got a week before and from his questioning just then.  
The question I asked _myself_ at that point was simple: did I just want to know him as someone in the city, or did I want to be able to consider him a friend? The answer was exactly the opposite. I wondered about the pros and cons, the risks and dangers, the benefits and the rewards.  
But with every thought, my answer became clear. Yes, I did want Shizuo to be my friend. More than that, I wanted that to be mutual. But, that was pushing it.

My friend. I would do it. I would exert all my patience if I needed to. I reached up and gently pried his hands away from my arms. He let go, and I looked up with a familiar smile stretching my lips. There was no way I could hate this guy.

"What?" I laughed quietly at the suspicious tone in his voice, quickly using that as an opportunity to pull my hands away and hide the same old blush that was creeping back up in my cheeks.

Stamping my foot and abruptly looking him in the eye, I pointed directly between his eyes (though here wasn't any way I could touch his face - he was much too tall for me). He stared at my finger then glanced (down) at my face. "I'm gonna make sure that I exert every ounce of serenity I have on you, so make sure you don't go swinging another sign post at me. Okay?"

I seemed really surprised by that. As much as before, if not more. He wasn't expecting it, that's for sure. Hell, I wasn't expecting those words to come out with such confidence. It felt incredibly unnatural. I smiled at the faint lost expression in his eyes.

"Just promise you won't try and hit me with some sort of post again." His eyes narrowed at that.

"It wasn't aimed at you. It was aimed at that damned flea." I grinned at him. Flea was accurate, in a way. Izaya seemed like the type to pry and stick his nose into other people business.

"Just promise." I raised an eyebrow at him. "Or is this your way of telling me that you enjoy swinging stuff at my face?" I poked his chest and laughed as he swatted my hand away, an irritated look stretching across his face. Somehow, I felt content with that.

Until my stomach growled loudly enough for people to stare as they passed by.

I felt my face flush ten shades of red before I turned away. Yep, my suspicions were confirmed. Someone _had_ cursed me.

"I'm hungry, so I'm gonna head over to Russian Sushi. Ojii-san gives me a discount." I glanced back at him, and felt my breath catch. He'd pulled out his glasses when I'd turned away, and he now stood with his hands were in his pockets as he assumed his normal laid back position. I tilted my head slightly, still staring at him, and willing my blush to either go away, or, at the very least, not darken.

I beckoned as I turned away, smiling as he fell in step beside me. My friend.

It was a big commitment, but I'd do my best to live up to it.

**~ Chapter Word Count: 1336**

**End Comments: Mm, I have to say that Izaya and Shizuo (partly) were based off of their actions in Episode 12 of the anime. So, yeah, hope it is okay? And technically speaking, their relationship hasn't progressed (yet). It's just Hana making a decision. Bah! I fail at writing Shizuo & Izaya. TT-TT~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: So sorry about the wait people. I'm still trying to decide how I want this story to go…But, for now, let's just roll with what I've got, okay? Once I figure it all out (which won't be anytime soon) it'll all come together. *optimistic* However, for now here's a fairly short chapter. ^^.~**

**Chapter 6:**

I saw him much more often after that. Not because I left my apartment thinking "_Mission for today: find Shizuo._" Quite the contrary - whenever I saw him, it coincidental. I'd be walking to my destination, and I'd see a vending machine or a sign post, or something of the sort, smash into whatever poor soul and managed to get him angry. Then I'd just wait until the crowd dispersed and I'd walk over and greet him. He was surprised the first time around, but he didn't seem to mind.

It was through this that I met Tanaka Tom, the debt collector Shizuo had mentioned that time I fell in the fountain. He seemed pleasant enough, and he was on good terms with Simon, which made me a bit more comfortable around him. Simon was always kind to me, so I trusted his judgment. After all, he got me a job at Russian Sushi.

The idea still hadn't sunk in, despite the fact that I'd spent the past week and a half working there, taking over Simon's job of handing out fliers. Ojii-san said he didn't have the uniform he and Simon wore in a girl's size, so he just made me wear one of his spare hats whilst I stood outside, smiling at random strangers on the street, and asking them to come inside. I also got a discount on the food there, which meant I could have my dinner before heading home.

It was on one of those busy Ikebukuro nights that things, according to what I was told, were "put in motion". I didn't know what that meant, but I doubted it would be anything good. And I was damn right.

I'd been walking home from work, not really paying anything that much attention. My apartment wasn't too far, but it was a half hour walk, so I'd zone out, give myself time to think, since my legs moved almost automatically through the crowded and brightly lit streets. I cut through the same alley to avoid the rush hour on the main street as everyone tried to get home.

As soon as I stepped around the tall building I felt someone grab my arm. When I turned around, there was a man with short brown hair and narrow glasses smiling at me. There was a dark purple van parked behind him, with the back facing us.

"Are you Kouno Hana-san?" I frowned. How did this guy know my name?

I nodded slightly, unsure what to think of this guy. He smiled reassuringly, but all my instincts told me to run the other way. And I would have, except his grip was too tight for me to yank my arm out. So I was stuck there.

His smile got wider. He reached a hand behind him and pulled the back of the van open. There was a kid inside, with dark blondish hair in a pale red hoodie and green combats. He smiled at me as he jumped out and walked over.

"Hello." I nodded as I eyed him up and down. His hands were hidden behind his back and he was standing a few steps away from me. He glanced back at his companion. "Are we in the clear?"

The man with the glasses nodded as he cast a quick glance up and down the alley. The kid turned to smile at me again. He took a small step closer. My mouth suddenly felt very dry and I tried to swallow.

Next thing I knew, the kid was jumping at me, something blue in his hands. I let out a small yelp as his hand clamped around the back of my neck and whatever it was in his hand was forced over my mouth. The hand around my arm tightened as I felt myself being thrown backwards as the inside of the van blocked out the outside world.

And then everything faded out.

**~ Chapter Word Count: 656**

**End Comments: Hm. Not much to say, really. I'll post the next one ASAP. At the very least, within this week. ;D Well, laterz.~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Guess who's back~? Yeyah! *ducks behind a wall to avoid bricks* Yes, I'm sure many (if not all) of you are angry. Probably because I left you guys hanging for so long. God knows, I'd be irritated. O.o But, anyway, this chapter may not be of best quality but I'm only just coming out of this writer's block, so, bare with me on this. Also~! Some nice news. I have the final chapter already finished. Now the problem is, actually getting there… Fffffff- Enjoy~**

**Chapter 7:**

When I came to, it took me a few minutes to grasp attention of my surroundings. My eyes took some time to adjust, and when they did, I noticed that I was inside a car. I was lying with my hands and feet bound and a gag over my mouth. My arms were wound around something, and they pushed my neck and my head into an uncomfortable position as the car moved about. I felt my back ache as the car drove over a bump in the road, and repressed a groan of pain.

I glanced around at my surroundings as we passed under some street lights. My arms were thread through some sort of…round…thing… on the back of one of the seats. My hands were then tied at the wrists to my elbows, keeping them firmly apart. I glanced up at my captors as well. There were three men. Well, two and a half. One with glasses, a little kid, and…another guy who looked kinda weird… I bit my lip as I stared at them. I didn't recognize any of them, except for the glasses man and the boy, who I vaguely remembered had forced me into the car.

Questions raced through my head, one after the other. Who were these people? Would anyone notice I was gone? What would Minori do? What would my parents do? Would they phone the police? Would they try their hardest to find me? Had I done something to these men before? Why me? What was going to happen to me?

I felt myself shudder at all the different scenarios of what they could do to me flashed before my eyes. I swallowed to wet my suddenly parched throat and I tried to curl into myself, fearing the worst.

Suddenly, I heard the men shout something I didn't catch and the car hit something solid. I felt myself momentarily lift off the car's floor before my arms pulled taunt and I fell – hard – on my shoulder. This time, I a moan escaped me as pain raced through my arm and back. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the floor as pain continued to race through me as I lay in an awkward position.

I listened as the two and a half men screamed and shouted as they scrambled out and away from the car. I kept my eyes closed as I felt myself tremble, and I bit my lip as I heard delicate footsteps outside the car. They walked around to the back and, after a small click, the back door opened up. And still I kept my eye closed as tightly as I could. The person pulled away the binds around my ankles and my wrists and the cloth around my mouth came away gently.

I'll freely admit that I was scared. Terrified even, despite the fact that this person was my savior. The one thing I picked out amongst the screaming was "It's a monster!" and even if that wasn't an accurate description, it still scared me. This person had scared them away. This person had scared me…

I pulled my arms out of the loop, wincing painfully as fire burned up my spine and across my shoulder. I sat up gingerly, and slowly opened my eyes open to look at my savior.

**~ Chapter Word Count: 555**

**End Comments: Fffff. This got better as it went along, didn't it? XDD Aw yeah. I'm back in da mo~od! (Well…ish ._. Because I suck like that….)  
****I also want to say thank you to the following awesome persons:  
Daisy Alligator  
SilverFish101  
Cocoasit  
kimkakashi  
Conejo-sama  
Cafe-Publications  
self helpless  
You guys are awesome. Thanks for very much for all the reviews! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: *le gasp* What is this? A double post? Yes! To make up for such an absence. 3 Now that I've written one chapter, two chapters, three chapters should be coming soon~! C: So, patience, my beloved fans whom I totally don't deserve. U The next chapters are on their way! *superhero pose fail* ALSO! NEW POV! –ISH! AHHHHHH~! CAPSLOCK FAIL….Gah! My eyes hurt from CAPSLOCK overuse…. *lame* . Sh. Don't tell anyone… ~**

**Chapter 8:**

I stared down at her. She was a little bruised and she kept wincing whenever she moved her shoulder, but in all she seemed alright. Her lime green top was askew and her combats were dusted with flecks of dirt. Her brown-gold hair was in disarray as she stared up at me with big brown eyes. Her lip trembled and she pushed herself upright to stare at me properly.

**Normal POV:  
**I couldn't take my eyes off the figure before me. The familiar messy blonde hair and stern face. The bartender outfit and tinted glasses that lay half-way down his nose. The brown eyes that stared at me uncertainly. It was enough to make tears well up in my eyes.

I choked back a sob as I threw myself at him, trying my best to hug him with one arm. I gripped the back of his vest in one hand and buried my face in his shoulder. He tensed up as I leaned against him, but I couldn't bring myself to let go. All the tension I felt as I lay in bound in the car flowed out with my tears, as I cried against his shoulder.

Somewhere through my relief and joy and tears, I realized how uncomfortable I was making him and I sat back with a blush, wiping at my eyes. I tried to laugh, but it just came out as a choked cough. And no matter what I did, the tears wouldn't seem to stop flowing. I glanced up at him as he slipped a cigarette into his mouth. I felt my lips stretch wider, and I pushed myself towards the edge of the van.

I placed one battered brown boot on the ground, intending to push myself out _somewhat_ gracefully. Instead, as soon as I put pressure on the one foot that was out, it slipped (on what, I have no clue) and I tumbled out of the car and landed on my backside. I groaned and rubbed the part of my head which I had hit on the bumper of the van, before glancing up at Shizuo who had succeeded in getting out of the car without hurting himself. I felt a smile curve my lips as I pushed myself up with one arm, leaning against the car for support.

Shizuo was walking before I regained my balance and I jogged to keep up with his long strides. He was muttering under his breath and his shoulders were tense.

"Shizuo…..san?" He didn't react to my quiet prod. "Shizuo-san?" I tried again, speeding up so I was walking right next to him. He didn't give any sort of response. I could feel myself getting more and more uncomfortable. He was angry, angrier than I'd ever seen him. A part of me, I'm ashamed to admit, was thrilled that he cared enough about my safety to make himself so angry. But the better part of me, and indeed, the majority, was scared.

I racked my brain for a way to calm him down, but I'd never seen anyone do it. The only time I'd seen him calm down was when I was with Izaya. And then a sudden thought struck me, and I could feel my anticipation heighten just at the idea of putting said thought into practice. But, I decided to risk his wrath.

I sped up and walked in front of Shizuo, standing firmly in front of him. He stared down at me, and I could see the fury swimming in his eyes. I forced myself to swallow and take a deep breath. I stared down at my booted feet as I tried to calm my frayed nerves. But, as soon as I saw one black shoe lift to step around me, I felt my determination set in place.

I grabbed Shizuo's arm firmly. He immediately tensed up and I felt his eyes turn to bore into the side of my head. I forced myself to take a few steps back so that I was directly in front of him once again. I licked my lips and let go of his arm, instead reaching up to his face. I stared up at him silently as he watched my hand get closer. As my hand grazed his cheek, he flinched away as if I had burned him, but I pressed on and wrapped my hand around the back of his neck. I pulled him down gently, knowing if he wanted to break out of my grip, he would do so.

I brought him down to eye level and leaned my forehead against his, closing my eyes. He was still very tense, and I knew I wouldn't be able to hold my arm up for much longer, as I felt the muscles across the upper half of my back burn with the effort. I opened my eyes and stared at him over the top of his glasses.

"Shizuo. Please calm down." My throat still hurt from all the crying I had done earlier and the words came out scratchy. Still, I felt rather than saw him take the words in. His neck relaxed under my grip and his body seemed to soften. I felt a smile stretch my lips as I stared at his now calm brown eyes. I had done it.

He shifted away slightly, and I let go of his neck, blushing as I did so. I let my arm fall and felt the muscles in my back protest as the weight shifted from side to side. I winced and held my injured shoulder gingerly. My whole back burned and the sudden pain was making me more and more dizzy. I swallowed and closed my eyes, trying to keep myself upright and not sway.

"Shizuo?" I opened my eyes and looked up at him as he turned to face me, another cigarette lit and balanced between his lips.

"You wouldn't happen to know a doctor, would you?"

**~ Chapter Word Count: 991**

**End Comments: …..Yes, the first part was just my way of describing Hana to you. And yes, it sucked, so if you want a more accurate description, or rather, a picture, of her, you can go to my DeviantART profile (the link is on my profile) and look for her in the Gallery-OC Designs part. uO  
And you guys have no idea how many times I wrote this chapter, left it because I didn't feel comfortable, came back to it and deleted half the thing to re-write it. TT^TT That's why the last 2 chapters took so long. I'm sorry.  
But, after reading over my previous chapters, and listening to some good ol' Celine Dion songs, I finally decided on an ending for this chapter. This is where the name comes into play. But I'll explain that in later chapters. u  
But, I'll try to speed up the updates. Not saying I definitely will, but I'll try. Also, I'd love to get some reviews on what you guys think of this chapter, since I just came out of that god-forsaken writing block. XD Hope you enjoyed~**


	9. Chapter 9

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Hi again guys~ I found out that I actually missed writing this ficcy so I wanted to write another chapter. Dunno how this one is gonna go, but let's just wait and see. XD ~**

**Chapter 9:**

I stared at the apartment door Shizuo had brought me to. It wasn't anything special; it was black in colour with a thin glass border and a small eye-hole in the centre. Shizuo knocked and I heard a voice call out from inside. There was some shuffling on the other side and the door opened as a man with short brown hair and glasses, wearing a lab coat, opened the door.

"Oh! Shizuo!" He smiled and turned halfway back into the apartment. "Celty! Shizuo's here." He turned around and I took a step back to hide myself behind Shizuo. Injured or not, I still felt it was wrong to disturb people at such a late time. Despite my best efforts to hide myself, the man still saw me.

"Oh? You bought a friend?" He leaned out the door to stare at me and I felt myself blush and shrink back. As my arm bumped into Shizuo's back, I felt the fire burn again, and my hand shot up to my shoulder as I bit my lip in pain. The man, who I assumed was a doctor, frowned and looked up at Shizuo as I heard gentle footsteps come towards the door. "Is she injured?"

I looked up as a figure rounded the corner. The person was clearly female, if the black bodysuit was any indicator. She wore black gloves and the suit was fitted around her slender body. But what drew my attention wasn't the odd clothing (I mean, that's not something you wear at home, right?), it was her head.

Or rather, lack thereof.

The top part of her suit was unzipped, so I could see her neck, but her neck just ended. Instead of a head, the only thing that was coming out of the top was a thin trail of black smoke. Nothing more, nothing less. I stared at her with wide eyes, my breath caught in my throat. Shizuo and the doctor were still talking, but their voices were just background noise to me then. What amazed me, was that, despite the fact that she had no eyes, I could feel her staring right back at me.

Pain forgotten, and hand now hanging limply at my side, I stepped around Shizuo and stood in front of her, staring at the smoke. My brain was having trouble processing it. Here was a fully grown woman, living a life, walking around, _without a head!_ There was only one thing I could think, as tears welled up in my eyes for no reason.

"Amazing." I felt two more pairs of eyes turn to me. I felt a smile stretch across my lips. "You're amazing!" The words came out bubbly and the tears fell from my eyes. This woman was absolutely incredible!

Her neck turned away from to look at the man beside her, before bending to look at her hands. I glanced down as I heard some tapping noise and watched as her fingers flew across a series of buttons, before she presented the screen of the device to me.

[Thank you.] The words were simple, but I felt my smile grow wider nonetheless.

I opened my mouth to say something but I felt a hand touch my shoulder, and I turned to look at the man in the lab coat, as he pinched my shoulder. I let out a yelp at the sudden pain and swatted his hand away, placing my free hand back on my shoulder.

"Sorry. I just needed to check if it was broken." I stared at him, and he smiled before beckoning me into the apartment. I glanced at Shizuo before I felt a hand rest on my back. I turned to look at the woman, who gently led me inside. I paused and leaned down to pull my battered, beige boots off, before stepping up onto the floor boards.

I couldn't help glance around. The hallways were painted creamy beige and the few doors were a deep brown and the laminated surfaces reflected the green light from the small wall light behind me. There was a door left open directly in front of me and, through it, I could see a wooden dining table and a plant pushed up against a large window.

I felt the hand on my back gently nudge me forward and I let it guide me through the door, glancing back to see Shizuo close the door and take his shoes off. I stepped through the doorway, almost slipping in my socks on the smooth floor boards. The doctor was standing by a white sofa with a medical kit laid out on the small coffee table beside it. He glanced up and smiled at me.

"I'm Shinra, by the way. Take a seat…" He paused, and I quickly filled in the gap.

"I'm Kouno Hana. Nice to meet you." I tried to give a small bow, but m back burned as I tried to bend so instead I gave him a small smile. He nodded and set about pulling up the equipment he would need. I swallowed slightly a walked over, slightly adverse to sitting down and dirtying the spotless white sofa. Shinra smiled reassuringly at me, holding a few bandages and some other things which I didn't really recognize. I sighed slightly, and gingerly sat on the edge of the sofa.

I'll freely admit that I was uncomfortable having a male doctor patch me up. I didn't like the idea of having to take my top off in front of him, but I assumed (I'm not saying this is right, by the way) that he was living with the woman and that therefore they were together. That eased some of my doubt. It was also helpful that the woman, who told me her name was Celty, told me not to worry. She told me that Shinra knew what he was doing, so I felt a little calmer as he wrapped the bandages around my shoulder. Celty took care of the rest, since I wasn't about to let Shinra do anymore than the shoulder I had hurt, even if he did talk through the bathroom door.

When Celty was finished wrapping the upper half of my torso, I grabbed my long-sleeved green top and pulled it over my head, ignoring the burning pain, with lightning speed. I felt much more comfortable almost immediately, and once I pulled my light green vest-top on as well, I felt fairly normal. I let my hair out of the tie that Celty had given me from somewhere in the house and let the dark blonde locks fall down my back before brushing my chin length bangs back into place.

As we stepped out the bathroom, I thanked Celty again and glanced at her PDA to see a {You're welcome.] flash across the screen. Regardless of the fact that we had just barely met, I really liked Celty. Even without a head, she was the most beautiful person I had ever met. She was kind and sweet, and sometimes a little childish. And I couldn't help consider her a friend already.

She led me over to the sofa again, and I noticed there was a little dirt where I had been sitting. I brushed it away and took my seat again, thanking Shinra as he placed a cup of tea in front of me. I glanced around and noticed the balcony door was open. Shizuo was outside, smoking and staring out over the city that was twinkling in the night. I felt my lips tilt up and turned my attention back to Shinra as he called my name.

"How did you get that injury?'He was mixing his tea slowly, watching me with wide eyes. I opened my mouth to answer but paused as Shizuo came back inside and slid the balcony door shut. He walked over to the sofa and threw himself down next to Shinra as Celty took a seat next to me.

I picked up my tea and stared at the deep brown liquid. "When I was walking home from work at around eight, I took a shortcut to avoid the rush hour on the main road. It's the road I always take to get home, but this time, there was some guy with glasses there who knew my name. He was holding my shoulder really tight, so I couldn't get away-"

"Is that where you hurt it?" I looked at Shinra, shaking my head.

"No. After he asked my name, a little kid jumped out the back of a purple van and drugged me. Next thing I knew, I was in the back of the van, tied up and gagged, with my arms stuck in some sort of loop….thing…on the back of one of the seats. And then, like a minute later, they started screaming, and the car just smashed into something….or rather, _someone_." I gave Shizuo a pointed look as heleaned back. "When the car stopped, I sort of…well…I was kinda in the air for like, a second and then my arms got caught on that loop…_thing_…and I fell on my shoulder."

"I see. Didn't you deal with something similar a few days ago, Celty?" I glanced at the woman next to me as she typed away.

[Yeah. There was a teenage girl who got kidnapped by the same guys. I was hired to save her.] I stared at the screen for a minute, before turning to stare back at my tea. I took a sip and swallowed as a question popped into mind.

"Celty-san, how did you know where the girl was?" Before she could type anything, I turned to Shizuo, a frown pulling at my lips. "Come to think of it, how did _you_ know where _I _was, Shizuo?"

We all turned to stare at him, and a growl built up in his chest.

"Izaya told me."

**~ Chapter Word Count: 1636**

**End Comments: Phew! I haven't written a chapter that was over a thousand words for a while. The last one was that one with Izaya. OuO  
Who, I might add, will be appearing again soon. ^^  
Still I'm fairly happy with the way this story is going. It's so addictive to write! As soon as I start, I can't seem to stop! XD Which is good for you guys, huh? ;) Well, here's hoping that way I can get the next few chapters out soon.  
Oh, and I tried to do a bit more description on Hana, since I don't think that minuscule little thing at the beginning of the last chapter is gonna cut it. =_= I hope this is better. ~**


	10. Chapter 10

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Okay, now with this chapter, I have NO CLUE how I want this to go. Seriously, this whole chapter will be improvised because I couldn't make my mind up between two scenarios so I went with both, and well, neither….Whatever, this chapter might be a little off, so that's the reason. I know, I'm not a good author. But oh wells. *shrugs* Also, ah my gawd, 10 chapters?~**

**Chapter 10:**

I walked down the street, staring at the pavement as I walked around Sunshine 60 on my day off. It was Sunday, after all. My shoulder was still aching (even though the incident had been three days prior) and it hurt to move it, so Ojii-san let me take a day off to rest.

I sighed as I stopped on the corner. I glanced around at the packed streets. People were cramped together like sardines, walking in unison, all flowing in the same direction. I leaned against a lamp-post. I felt my lips curl up as I leaned my head against it, sighing.

I stared down at my feet, which were clad in my favourite and most worn out brown boots that had been a gift from my sister. I shuffled them slightly before pushing away from the post and brushing down my brown skirt and pulling up the strap of my cream ruffled blouse. I turned to continue walking down the road, occasionally squeezing past people or pausing to lean against one of the buildings again.

I sighed and made my way to the park again. I came here a lot, I realised recently. It was a place where I could think clearly about what I needed to do. I sat down by the fountain again, pausing to make sure my skirt covered my knees, before turning to stare at the rippling water. My reflection stared back at me, and I frowned at myself. What was I doing with myself?

I sighed to myself before turning so that I could face the fountain fully and lean on my left hand whilst playing with the floating leaves in the water with my right. I stared at the petals afloat the surface, changing directions rapidly as water pelted their surfaces. I felt myself sigh again as I poked a petal. It was still early, and I glanced at my wristwatch to see it was still quarter to one. I groaned. What to do, what to do...

_Maybe I would have been more productive if I had gone to work...At least I would've gotten paid._

I tilted my head back and stared up at the clouds passing over head, squinting as the sun shone from in between them. I couldn't believe I had absolutely nothing to do. I jumped as something vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled out my thin lime green phone. I had received a text from an unknown number. I blinked and opened the text. It said, _"Do you want to be in the Dollars?" _I stared at the text. Dollars. The gang that was apparently "clearly colourless". I stared at the small screen.

"Is this a joke...?" The longer I stared at the message, the more I felt the urge to say yes, for the hell of it. I tilted my head and stared at the flowing water. What harm could it do? I quickly typed up a reply and sent it before I could change my mind.

I frowned and stared at the fountain a moment longer before standing up. "This city is making me more and more reckless..." I brushed down my skirt again and stepped away from the fountain, heading home.

Four hours later, I was in a similar situation. I was lying on my sofa, staring blankly at the wall, waiting for something to do. I felt so bored! I had barely done anything for the past 4 hours other than chores, which, needless to say, were also very boring.

I twitched when I heard a series of firm knocks on the door. Whilst I was excited at the prospect of something to do, I was far too comfortable. When the knocking sounded again, I sighed and swung my legs of the side before pushing myself to sit up. I dragged myself over to the door, noting that my strap was hanging off my shoulder, but I couldn't be bothered to fix it. I grabbed the handle and inched the door open, peering curiously through the gap.

I felt my lips tilt up at the familiar "yo", staring up at the blonde figure. I quickly shut the door and pulled the chain out before yanking it fully open.

"Hey there." I smiled at him as he leaned against the doorframe, a small smirk curving his lips and his glasses balanced on the tip of his nose. I stepped to the side and beckoned him in, watching as he pushed himself off the doorframe and stepped inside, taking his shoes off.

I shut the door gently and stepped up onto the pale, creaky floorboards. I led him over to the cream sofa, noting he glanced around the small apartment. I stepped over to a white counter and leaned against it as he turned to look around the apartment.

"So what's up?" He paused and looked at me over his shoulder, before holding up his hand. It wouldn't have caught my attention so, if it hadn't been for the _pen_ protruding from his hand. I felt the blood drain from my face as I stared at him.

"You were closer than Shinra's. Have you got some band-aids?"

I felt my jaw drop. "Shizuo!" Ignoring his remotely surprised face, I walked over and gently nudged him towards the couch, before turning my attention to whatever was stabbing my leg. There were two more pens, one stuck in each leg. I felt a small shriek escape me before I pushed Shizuo – more firmly this time – towards the sofa. He took the hint and sat down, fairly relaxed. I stared at him for a moment, before rushing to the olive green bathroom to grab the first-aid kit and a few towels. I left them on the table before going back to the bathroom and filling a small bucket with warm water, which I then took back to the room a placed on the coffee table.

I knew I wasn't an expert when it came to stab wounds, and I was by no means a doctor, but I was always the one to patch up my clumsy sister when she burnt herself or accidently cut herself, so I had some experience.

I sat on the edge of the table in front of Shizuo and pulled the small white box down to the floor, before taking his hand gently, holding at chest level. I pulled out a pair of green gloves from the kit and stared down at the pen, biting my lip. I had never dealt with pen wounds before, but I had a basic idea of how to deal with it.

I grabbed one of the towels I had brought with me and dropped it in the bucket of water. I let it sink and pulled another one on my skirt, spreading it so it covered my lap. I pulled on the pen, trying to ignore the blood slowly dripping on my lap. I slid out smoothly, and I immediately applied pressure to his wrist. I glanced up at him and noticed he had his head tilted back and was staring up at the ceiling, no pain apparent on his face.

Still holding his wrist tightly, I quickly grabbed the cloth in the bucket and squeezed it against the side of the bucket. I quickly ran the corner of it along his hand, gently wiping away the blood. I then pulled out the antiseptic and a bag of cotton wool. I opened the cap and placed a piece of cotton wool on my lap, before pouring some of the contents of the bottle out. I picked up the now soaked cotton wool piece and wiped it over the wound, watching Shizuo's reaction out of the corner of my eye. He didn't even flinch.

I turned back to the wound, wiping around it and gently dabbing the slowly reddening wool on the hole. I shifted as the silence began to press on me. "H-How did this happen...?" I felt him glance at me, but I kept my head bent over his hand.

"I was with Celty, when she started chasing some girl. There was some high school kid with her and he stabbed me with these pens before I sorted him out." I grimaced. "Sorted him out" made it sound like he killed the poor kid. But more than that, I felt something else swell up in my chest. This was something that had been happening to me ever since the incident a few days ago. It was a strange mixture of worry, fear and anger. I set the now red cotton wool back down on the towel, which was slowly getting redder and redder.

I leaned down and rummaged through the small box by my feet, searching for a gauze pad. I pulled one out a placed it over the wound before pulling out a roll of bandages. That feeling was building up in my chest, growing steadily stronger and stronger. I tried to ignore it when my vision got blurry, but I couldn't do anything when the water dripped away from me. I watched as it splattered on Shizuo's hand. I swallowed and tried to blink what remained away, focussing on bandaging his hand.

My vision was getting more and more blurred, but I refused to make a sound as I wrapped the elastic material around his hand slowly. The tears continued to drip, on his fingers and parts of the bandage, and his hand would occasionally twitch when they did. I paused for a minute to wipe m eyes, remotely surprised at how wet my hand felt when I pulled it away.

"Oi, why are you crying?" I felt his arm shift slightly as I continued with the bandage. I swallowed thickly, still refusing to look at him.

"Because you're an idiot." I muttered quietly to myself. I heard him give a curious "Hm?" in return. "People who call others idiots are usually idiots themselves, but I'm an idiot anyway, so I'll say it again." I looked up at him then...Or rather, glared at him. I still don't know why I got so angry at him. I just couldn't help but shout at him then. "You idiot! You have to take better care of yourself!" After I said that, I felt my energy drain away, and I shook my head before tying the bandage in a knot and moving to the floor to do the same treatment on his legs.

It was again silent after that. I occasionally let out a little sniff or a hiccup, but there was no more talking. I didn't look at him either, focussing on fixing his legs as well as I could (and, obviously, trying to hide that same, stupid blush). When I finished both legs, it was roughly seven-thirty. Two hours had passed since he had come.

I pulled off my gloves and set about cleaning the mess of bloody towels, cotton wool and bandages that covered the coffee table and the floor surrounding Shizuo. When I finished with that, I put the first-aid box back where I found it, feeling slightly guilty about what I had said to Shizuo. I scratched the side of my face as I nervously stepped back into the room. When I looked up Shizuo was already standing up and stretching. I glanced towards the kitchen and noticed a few leftover slices of the chocolate cake I had brought a few days ago.

I glanced at Shizuo before quickly walking over to it. I pulled the plate towards me and took the bowl covering the top off. I placed it to the side and reached up to pull some plates out of the wooden cupboard above my head. I quickly pulled out two forks and transferred the slices onto the plates. I picked them up and turned to Shizuo, anxiously looking around the apartment.

"U-Um...you should...probably eat something sweet...after losing that much blood..." I trailed off uncertainly, offering him one plate. I had no doubt he noticed how nervous I was. Nonetheless, he took the plate from my hand, his fingers slightly grazing mine as he did so. To hide the blush that was slowly reddening my cheeks I turned towards the fridge and yanked it open, almost dropping my plate in the process. "What do you want to drink? I usually like milk with cake...What about you?" I glanced at him over my shoulder, and froze in surprise.

For starters, he was closer. Whilst I'd moved around to the fridge, he'd moved around to the kitchen side of the counter and was now leaning against it. What really got me, was the fork sticking out of his mouth. I can't explain it. It wasn't that he was holding it in a strange way. It was just that it looked so...cute.

And I knew I was crazy when I used _that_ word to describe _Shizuo_, of all people.

I turned around and grabbed two glass bottles of milk with my free hand, feeling the blush increase again. I straightened up, and nudged the door shut with my foot. Turning around, I held out a bottle for Shizuo to take. I placed my plate on the counter again before pulling open the lid of the bottle. I glanced at Shizuo to see him pull the lid off with his teeth. I smiled wryly, holding out my hand for him to drop it in. When he did, I opened one of the lower cupboards and threw them in the small bin that sat inside.

I leaned against the counter opposite him, watching as he drank half the bottle in one go. _He must really like milk._ I felt myself smile again at that thought, but blinking as I heard a strange buzzing sound come from the window. I put my drink down and walked over to the window, seeing my phone's small screen flashing white. I picked it up and flicked it open, reading the text that appeared on the screen.

It was the same number as the one earlier, about the Dollars. There was a website, a password and the penname I had sent in the reply. _How strange... _I stared at the screen a little longer, walking over to the kitchen. I took my place leaning against the counter again and flipped the phone shut, sighing.

"Hey Shizuo..." I heard him give a grunt as he took another gulp of milk. I pulled myself up to sit on the counter, wincing slightly as my shoulder burned dully. I picked up my plate and took a bite of the cake. I paused with the spoon still in my mouth, frowning as I did so. "Do you know anything about the Dollars?"

He paused with the fork halfway to his mouth. "The Dollars?" He stared at me, but I shook my head.

"No, it doesn't matter." I smiled at him and took another bite before taking a swing of milk.

Somehow, I had a feeling I was going to regret joining.

**~ Chapter Word Count: 2505**

**End Comments: Pffft...the stitching and such, I had no idea **_**what**_** I was writing. This is pretty much what I learned from games and such ('course, I checked it on the web, but there was nothing about pen wounds... .). So...yeah...I don't like it...**

**Anyway~! I pretty much hate this chapter. There are some parts I like. For example, the idiot part - which I just couldn't resist doing.u ... I honestly have nothing more to say about this chapter...Except...HOLY SNAP! OVER 2000 WORDS? *faints***

**...Hope someone liked it more than I did? (PS. I **_**REALLY **_**don't like this chapter...) ~**


	11. Chapter 11

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Aw, shucks you guys~! All those reviews for a chapter I didn't even enjoy writing that much. XD You guys are too awesome. I'd give you all cookies, but cyber cookies don't count for much, so I'll just deliver you a chapter. Also, I have actually made some plans for later chapters of this fic. Like I said before, I pretty much have the last chapter written/typed, so the problem now is getting there. ^^ On with the story! ~**

**Chapter 11:**

A few days later, I found myself standing, with Simon and Shizuo and a handful of flyers, on the street, surrounded by a mass of people, all different ages (and sizes).

The night before, a message had gone up on the Dollars site, saying there was going to be a meeting on Sunshine 60. I figured since I was working anyway, I might as well stay overtime and get paid a little more, and so I ended up at the meeting. Except, there was just a huge crowd of people; no one said anything about the Dollars or a meeting as me and Simon worked to pull in customers. I half-listened as Shizuo explained something that had happened to him to Simon,

"_What is life? What do people live for?_ Or so someone asked me, and I beat him within an inch of his life...It might be different if he were a middle schooler, but it should be a crime for an adult yakuza to say that, right?"

I listened as Simon gave a half-response to Shizuo's question, focussing on handing out flyers and telling people the food wouldn't make them sick.

"Hey Simon...you don't get a word I'm saying, do you?" I paused and reached up to fix my hat (which had been slipping off my head for the past five minutes), glancing at the two men beside me. Shizuo was closer, and though he was facing me, his head was now turned away to stare at Simon over his shoulder, a cigarette hanging from his lips.

"Yeah, you're right." Was the response Simon gave, and I ducked to avoid Shizuo's arms as they reached for the motorcycle behind me. The poor rider flew off to the side as Shizuo swung the bike over my head at Simon, who was still waving happily to customers. As the bike came closer, he dropped the flyers and braced his hands against the bike, stopping Shizuo from pushing it any further. I smiled before straightening up and continuing my work.

As I looked around, I noticed more and more people gathering, the thick crowd of people increasing steadily. It was the same for the next few minutes, not quiet in the context of noise, but there was no disturbance. It seemed as if nothing was going to happen.

And then I felt my phone vibrate.

I paused as I passed someone a flyer, pulling out the lime green phone and glancing at the small screen before flicking it open to view the text. I looked up as I heard more phones ringing, and noticed Simon and Shizuo pull out their phones too. I glanced around, a smile stretching my face as everyone's phone began to ring. This was it. This was the Dollars. It was a strange thing to feel, after only being a part of them for a few days. I took a small step towards Simon and Shizuo staring at the text that read _"Anyone who isn't looking at their cell phone right now is an enemy. Don't attack; just glare silently."_ I looked up and around for the people mentioned in the text, not being able to see for the mass of taller people around me.

For the most part, we didn't do anything. There was nothing we could do. It seems that the people considered enemies weren't close enough. So we stood and waited. Until we heard a strange neighing sound come from high above. I, along with many, many others, turned to stare up at the roof of the tall green building we stood near. There was a shadow at the top, framed against a red moon. I stared at it with narrowed eyes. It was a bike, with a black rider on it.

_Celty-san?_ I watched as the front wheel tipped over the edge, the rest of the machine following after it, and a strange echoing voice shouting _"I've had it!"_ A black scythe appeared in her hand as the bike slid down the side of the building, the weapon dragging behind her and digging into the wall.

The voice continued: _"I have no head! I'm a monster! I don't have a mouth with which to communicate, or even eyes with which to communicate my passion to others!"_

I vaguely heard people asking each other where the noise was coming from, but I couldn't tear my eyes away long enough. The bike slid down faster and faster, the scythe doing nothing to slow it down as gravity dragged and pulled on it.

More words echoed: _"So what if I don't? So what if I don't?"_ I watched the bike spin in the air before landing smoothly and turning on the front wheel. I spun around on the spot for a moment before the back wheel slammed down and Celty dragged her foot along the ground. I knew it was her. I knew she was the one shouting and screaming her feelings. Her words hit me hard, and I felt myself take another step back and bump into either Simon or Shizuo.

Celty swung herself off the bike, scythe in hand, and words still pouring away from her. "_I'm right here. I definitely exist here."_ There were a group of men around her, each holding a weapon. I watched as she clenched her scythe tightly before swinging it to fend off the attackers, either by jabbing them with the blunt end of the pole, or slicing through them. The strange thing was that the men fell to the ground, but there was no blood. The men weren't sliced in half like you would have expected. No, they were still very much whole, but they simply fell to their knees, unable to do anything.

"_Since I don't have any eyes, I'll show you all what I really am! Listen as much as you want to the screams of those who've seen a monster!" _Just as the words were said, one of them men attacked her from behind, swinging what looked like a crowbar at her head. It mind contact, and the bright blue and yellow helmet flew off and fell to the ground.

Everyone was surprised. Even Simon and Shizuo. I watched on as Celty stood still, smoke trailing from the top of the biker suit. The man who hit her took a step back, as everyone began to murmur "the headless rider!" and pull out their phones and cameras to take a picture. More words echoed, but I couldn't hear anything over the shouting and screaming as people pushed and shoved to get away from the area. I felt myself get thrust forward as people rushed forward to see her, before turning around and running back in the opposite direction. I yelped as someone's elbow hit the back of my head. My vision got blurry as people jostled me from all directions. I noticed a familiar white and blue uniform and grabbed the sleeve, pulling myself over to Simon's side as if I was stuck in water.

I felt his hand clamp on my shoulder to hold me steady and I stared around as the street suddenly became relatively empty, save for the crowd of people brave enough to still stay and watch Celty, who was standing in the same spot, her hands reaching towards the sky. Suddenly, she let her arms fall and turned around to head in a direction I couldn't see. I looked at Simon, reaching up to fix my hat, and noticing Shizuo still standing by.

"I guess that's it for the Dollars first meeting, huh?" Shizuo and Simon nodded, looking at where Celty had been a minute ago. I sighed, straightening up and brushing down the brown skirt the covered up to my knees. I reached up and scratched the back of my head, watching as everyone seemed to disperse. I noticed Shizuo suddenly tense up as a quiet growl broke out of his chest.

His eyes focussed on something I couldn't see, and he stalked forward and pulled something from the ground. I blinked in surprise and watched as he shifted his weight and thrust it to the other end of the street. I followed it with my eyes and saw a small figure, wearing a furry coat. I turned to look at Shizuo who had already pulled out a street sign and was striding down the street, growling out his name loud enough for me to hear. I watched as Izaya's figure danced around a corner, causing Shizuo to break out into a run, cursing after him.

I smiled slightly. I had a feeling the next few days would be unbelievably normal.

**~ Chapter Word Count: 1442**

**End Comments: EPISODE 11~! *does a small dance in chair* I don't know why I'm happy, but maybe because this chapter wasn't too tedious to write? Like the last chapter. .  
Also, about the location of the Dollars' meeting, I didn't actually know where it was, but I assumed since Simon was giving stuff out, it would be near the restaurant, which I've already stuck on Sunshine 60 earlier on in the fic.  
I've also noticed that I've been writing chapters with a thousand words a lot more. Is that good or bad? Hmm. I suppose it depends on who you are and how your life goes, hm?  
…I'm gonna stop before I start getting philosophical on our asses. XD Hope you enjoyed~**


	12. Chapter 12

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Okay, okay, now I know some of you, if not all (wow, I'm getting déjà vu) are maybe kinda angry at me for...leaving you guys hanging like I did, and I'm am honestly soooooooooooooooooooo sorry. I honestly didn't mean for this to take so long, but with school and exams and such and such, well...it's been a tedious few weeks and the stress I had been trying to ignore is really starting to catch up with me, so now I'm really tired every day.  
And I know that's not really an excuse, but like I said before, you know I love you guys, right?  
Mitigate has been stuck at 12 chapters too long for my liking, so that may help speed things up.~**

**Chapter 12:**

I lay on my back, staring at the bright blue sky floating above me. There were a few puffs of fluffy clouds drifting around, but, in all, the sky was pretty clear. I smiled as a gentle wind ruffled my hair, closing my eyes, giving a matching sigh.

A week had passed since the Dollars meeting, and nothing new had happened. I'd been in Ikebukuro for over a month, and so much had happened to me in such a small amount of time. It was almost unbelievable. Almost.

I sighed again and opened my eyes, letting out a small shriek of surprise at the face bent over me.

"Shizuo!" I giggled nervously and pushed myself up, blushing and pulling the hem of my pale yellow dress over my knees. I swallowed and twisted around to look up at him. "What's up?"

He shook his head, lips twitching, and pulled out a cigarette. I watched him slip it between his lips, feeling myself blush slightly. I turned my gaze slightly further up and felt myself go red when I noticed his eyes trained on me. I felt my breath get caught in my throat and I looked away, coughing to hide my embarrassment. I forced myself to swallow again and felt a sense of awkwardness flow over me. I gently brushed the grass beneath my fingers before pushing myself up, standing and swaying slightly.

I stared at the floor, suddenly finding his shoes very interesting. They were simple, nothing designer, but they were well made. The material was worn down and there were creases along the parts where his foot bent most often. I felt myself smile slightly before freezing and looked up at Shizuo slightly, trying to look innocent and not so very nervous. I had completely forgotten he was there, despite the fact I had been staring at _his_ shoes. I mentally slapped myself for that.

I felt something flutter in my stomach as his lips tilted up. I swallowed (again) I felt a smile stretch across my face as the blush ever refused to fade. Why was it that whenever I was around Shizuo that blush crept up on me? It wasn't like I liked him, or had a crush on him.

Was it?

The thought made me freeze, and the happy expression dropped from my face as I detached myself and turned inward.

Did I like Shizuo? In _that _sense? Was that it? But it couldn't possibly be. But if it was? It would make sense, what with the blushing and fluttery feeling I got whenever he was present. Was I unconsciously aware of my feelings for him? I mentally started. Feelings for him? Did that confirm it? Did I feel that way about him? More importantly, if I did hold some form of feelings for him, what would I do now that I realised it? Would I ignore these feelings? Pursue them? Wait until they fade? Express them? But I had to decide first. I had to be clear.

Did I have a crush on Hewaijima Shizuo?

I frowned mentally. But that couldn't be right. Whatever these feelings were, they didn't seem like a crush. It didn't feel like a crush. It was...stronger. Stronger than a crush? But that couldn't be right. There was no way. That just wasn't possible.

I couldn't be _in love_ with Heiwajima Shizuo, could I?

I blinked as a hand clicked in front of me and the object of my thoughts stood frowning in front of me. He was stooped slightly to level his eyes with mine and I could feel slight heat from his breath fan over my face, the smell of nicotine invading my senses.

I felt my lips tilt up again, and my hand swung forward, slipping into his. He started but I held on firmly, a grin stretching my lips even wider.

"Let's go get something to eat." He raised an eyebrow before nodding slightly, a questioning look in his eyes. I let out a small giggle, unable to help myself, tugging gently on his hand. He relented and stepped forward, taking the lead, hand still grasped firmly in my hand. I stared at his face, what I could see of it, anyway.

And as I watched the familiar face, brushed with blonde bangs, and the narrow brown eyes that held a glimmer of energy and power at every given moment, I felt my previous thoughts all mesh together to chorus a single thought.

_Yes, I believe I was._

**~ Chapter Word Count: 752**

**End Comments: Short and fluffy, t'was what I wanted. ^^ I noticed whilst reading over the previous chapters that I was missing a kep amount of fluff in my ficcu, in spite of it being a "romance" fanfic () so I felt the need to put some in, at least from Hana's side.  
I was also gonna upload this yesterday, but it was taking too long to change and choose a upload chapters and it was about 11:30pm when I finished, and I had to go to bed for school in the morning, and I have a butt-load of other excuses that I can't be bothered to type and you probably don't want to hear/read, so I'll leave it here for now.  
Hope you enjoyed~**


	13. Chaptre 13

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Well, it's been a while since there was a new chapter, huh? Yeah….*laughs nervously* ….I missed you guys~! *hugs all* Seriously, it's been too long hasn't it? Why ya'll not keepin' in touch, hm?  
*ducks to avoid a brick* Ehehe…heh…yeah….  
So! *clears throat* Welcome to the newest installment. To be honest, the better part of this chapter came to me at 4am in the morning a few days ago, so lol. Also, lucky you guys, this chapter is a whopping 3000+ words, so have fun reading. Though I can't guarantee it's worth 3000 words.  
So, yeah, here we go. ~**

**Chapter 13:**

I frowned at the man standing before me, a sly grin curving his face and giving him an almost demented look. His words rang in the empty office.

"_I did it because I wanted to see Shizu-chan suffer."_

Let me rewind the clocks for you.

This all started after I went out for an early lunch with Shizuo and realized certain…things... After that, he had to go back to work (as it turns out, he was just on break and had stumbled upon me in the park) and I was reminded of a certain few words that he had said to me a number of weeks before. Well, not me specifically…But anyway, after that day, none of those who were present ever pressed the matter, but at this point, I decided to.

My question was this: how did Izaya know I was kidnapped, and why did he tell Shizuo that I was?

And, I'll be honest; I thought it would be very easy to find a man with such a strange name. I mean, how hard could it be to find a man called Orihara Izaya? …..Apparently, very hard. Maybe I was just looking in the wrong places, but no one I asked around my neighborhood knew who he was. I was pretty sure Shizuo knew where to find him, but I wasn't sure whether or not he would actually tell me, refuse to tell me and/or just flip out. So he was out of the question.

So I thought about turning to Celty and Shinra. Except, as I've probably mentioned before, I have a terrible memory. And so, by this time, I had already forgotten the precious location of my newly made friends' home. And Celty rode too fast for me to get a chance at asking her whilst she was out, not to mention I got the distinct feeling she wouldn't tell me either, and simply say "stay away from him". So they were out of the picture too.

Which left only one person that I actually knew that may have known where this guy was.

Simon.

And whilst I did feel most comfortable asking Simon, seeing as I knew him best, I was still unsure about how to approach the subject. I didn't what to outright ask in the middle of work, but I didn't know how to make make-shift conversations to get what I wanted. So I had reached a breaking point in my mentality.

But, finally, Lady Luck smiled on me again. Or maybe she didn't? I don't know.

But one particular afternoon, Simon caught me whilst I was in a foul and frustrated mood. I briefly explained to him that I was searching for someone, and that it was urgent that I find them. When he received my answer as to who I was looking for, he enlightened me as to where he often hung out, warning me before I left that Izaya was a dangerous man. I didn't doubt him, but I was too caught up in the prospect of finally catching my quarry to pay it any attention. So off I went.

Next thing I knew, I was on my way to Shinjuku, by train, of course, and all my brain power was concentrated on how to ask my questions. Not to mention, I felt it wouldn't be safe to just ask any random person on the street, so I would have to find my way to him in private.

When the train doors opened and I climbed the steps out into the streets of Shinjuku, I felt a wave of uncertainty crash over me. It was familiar; it reminded me of the first time I was in Ikebukuro. The streets were so different than that of my home. Something in my chest twitched at that thought. Numazu. It had been so long that I'd almost gotten over my homesickness. But, that familiar feeling of worry and fear of the different had allowed those feelings to surface in me once more. And so, it was with those feelings and trepidation that I walked the sunset lit streets of Shinjuku.

After about an hour of pointless wondering and ogling of the structures surrounding me, the sun had set and bright lights were what continued to give the place enough light to continue the fast-pace in the darkness. They hurt my eyes and my head ached from all the noise and movement. The pace of the city was different than that of Ikebukuro, which I had only recently grown accustomed to. Perhaps someone who had lived in such a fast paced place would be able to cope better, but for me, it was mind blowing, as was the pain in my head. I could feel my temples twitching with every glance in a different direction, every peek down another street.

Everything was beginning to blur together and I covered my eyes with my hands and stopped in the middle of the street, head bowed. Irritated grumbles emitted from people around as they pushed and shoved past. I refused to move from my spot, refused to cry and refused to open my eyes. I froze exactly where I was, trying to calm my frayed nerves. I breathed deeply and reorganized my thoughts, thinking back to all the tips Simon had given me when looking for Izaya.

I was calm once more and I forced myself into the rhythm of the area. Just as I pulled my head away from my hands, and proceeded to take a step, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and at once my nerves heightened. I felt something strangely soft brush against my neck before turning around to look at the face of someone I was not expecting to see.

"I'm so happy you went out of your way just to come see me, Hana-chan."

I sat perfectly still, staring uncertainly at the man who had dragged me off the streets and into his oh-so-spacious apartment. The man who was now sitting on a chair behind a large desk, pouring himself tea into a cup matching the one in my own hand. The warm tea was comforting, the familiar smell reminding me of nothing but the day that had sent me looking for this man in the first place.

I brought the cup up, gently taking a sip before lowering it again, glancing over to Izaya. His eyes were gleaming with that same smirk plastered across his face. The one that made me feel like a little bug under his microscope and that he knew every move and every word I would say before I even saıd it or did it. Those narrow brown eyes zeroed in on everything I did.

In summary, he was making me feel extremely uncomfortable. Like, seriously.

Nevertheless, I set down my cup on the small coffee table before me, tugging at the rolled-up sleeve of my black and white striped jumper. Swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat, I mustered up what little courage I could and turned to face him.

"I'm just gonna get straight to the point here, Orihara-san." He let out what sounded like a giggle and I paused mid-sentence.

"Just Izaya is fine, thank you." His grin widened as I shifted uncomfortably.

"Alright, Izaya-san." He twitched but I swallowed and pressed on. "The reason I'm here is because I wanted to ask you something." An eyebrow went up and his eyes gleamed with amusement. "…..How did you know I was kidnapped and why did you tell Shızuo?"

The words tumbled from my mouth and I instantly shut it, watching carefully for his reaction. He stared at me, the same expression on his face. And then he started laughing. That bad vibe that I always got from him suddenly seemed so much stronger. It made my heart pump faster and my grip on the small china cup tightened.

After he calmed down, he took a small sip of his tea and placed the cup back down on the desk. That knowing smile never left his face. "If I had to answer that I'd say….It's simply because I wanted to see Shizu-chan suffer."

I froze. That wasn't the response I had been expecting. Then again, what had I been expecting? Some sort of heroic effort? I shook those thoughts away as he continued to speak. "I truly do find it unpleasant to speak about him, since it's hard to deal with him, but if I had to say, it'd be because I really do hate Shizu-chan. So, naturally, I can't stand to see him happy."

I stared at him. "That doesn't explain why you told him where I was. And what makes you think that having me gone would make him happy anyway?" I was getting nervous again, and I shifted again, trying to soothe my frayed nerves. Why in the world did I ever believe this man was easy to talk to?

He gave me a look that clearly read "are you retarded?" and I felt a vein throb in my forehead. "Does that really need an explanation? If you think about it carefully enough, you'll figure it out, you know." I felt another vein twitch at that. Why did this man suddenly irritate me so? "But I'll tell you this…I won't stand to see Shizu-chan that happy. It makes me sick."

I felt something drop in my gut but the only thing I could say was "Huh?"

"Now that you're in our little game, you'll be playing an important part. I'll put it simply so you can understand it. When you're around Shizu-chan, he's happy. When he's happy, I'm un happy. So, to make myself happy again, I'll make Shizu-chan unhappy."

I stared the man sitting innocently in the chair behind the desk. I felt my throat constrict and all of a sudden, the room felt far too small. The walls seemed to close in around me and I could feel my breath catch in my throat. And suddenly, the room turned dark. The walls, the floor, the furniture all suddenly vanished, and it was just me and that man, in the darkness. The knowing grin was ever present on his face.

"You...you'll hurt Shizuo. ...?" I stared at him as he chuckled, that innocent look never leaving his face.

"Tsk, tsk, Hana-chan. That is a horrible accusation to make. I won't hurt him; you will." A strangled gasp escaped me and the cup in my hands clattered to the floor. He chuckled as he pushed himself out of his chair and danced around the desk to stare at me for a moment longer.

Most likely satisfied with his work, he nodded happily and practically skipped to the door. "I'll be right back, okay, Hana-chan?" He slid open the door and slipped out, my eyes focused on the door until the very last echo of the click faded. My heart throbbed in my chest as I stared at the closed door, somehow hoping the main article of the conversation would suddenly show up. But of course he didn't.

I knelt down and slowly and delicately began picking up the pieces of the shattered china cup. Once all the large pieces were in the small trash can by his desk, I pulled a paper towel from the roll and began soaking up the liquid.

My progress was hindered however, by a familiar roar of anger from outside. I glanced toward the door Izaya had previously exited through, heart pounding. It couldn't be, right? It was impossible, right? It wasn't him, was it?

It was. It was totally possible and it totally could be. Because he was here. I knew it as soon as I heard him shout and heard crashing soon after. I picked myself off the floor and rushed over to the large window. Sure enough, there he was in the darkened street, lit up by a series of street lamps that were, one by one, being pulled from their places by Shizuo's incredible strength.

And of course, similar to the first time I met Izaya, he was expertly flipping and twisting out the way of any airborne objects that were being hurled at him. Even from the window, I could see that perceptive smirk curving his lips. I turned my gaze to Shizuo, and my heart started pounding double time as soon as my eyes rested on his lean figure. Just as he was about to hit Izaya with some sort of railing he pulled from the ground, a black shadow came between them. I knew for sure it was Celty, what with that blue and yellow helmet gleaming in the lamp light.

She was off he bike in a second and was running over to Shizuo, her PDA held directly up to his face. He peered down at it for a moment before turning to Izaya, who put his hands up and shrugged. Celty tossed Shizuo and black helmet and I watched as he swiftly climbed onto the back of her bike before she pulled it off the pavement and back onto the road, heading away from the apartment block and, most likely, back to Ikebukuro.

I sighed and noticed that I had unconsciously pressed myself against the glass as they drove off. I stepped away and looked at Izaya who turned away from the road and looked up at the window I was leaning against. I frowned down at him as his grin got wider. He starting walking back towards the building and I pushed away from the glass, heading back to my seat on the couch.

Within a few minutes, Izaya stepped back into the room. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, instinctively searching for any potential injuries. There were none, much to my surprise, and swung on over to his seat in front of the window with the same ease and effortlessness as he always did. I swallowed and stared down at my hands. I pulled at loose strings in my skirt, pulling the gray material so that it covered more of my legs, despite the fact that they were already clad in dark blue leggings. I sighed and reached for my bag, stopping as Izaya set down another cup of tea on the coffee table in front of me. I hadn't even noticed him get up, let alone walk past me to put more tea.

I thanked him quietly and he grinned. "I would recommend staying for a little while longer."

I frowned at him. "And, pray tell, why would you?"

"For your own wellbeing."

His grin grew wider at the incredulous look I gave him and he chuckled some more before turning his attention away from me and to his computer. This man…..confused the hell out of me.

I frowned at him some more before turning to pick up my cup and take a gulp of the scorching liquid. It burned down my throat and I repressed a gasp at the sensation, tears welling up in my eyes. Smooth, Hana, real smooth. I heard a slight chuckle but as soon as I turned to stare at the other occupant of the room, there was nothing but that familiar smirk curving his lips. I sighed and turned back to stare at my cup. This was going to be a long night.

When I finally got to leave (being stopped by a "I would check out Southern Ikebukuro Park whilst you're on your way home" instead of a "I wouldn't recommend it") I was relieved to be away from him to say the least. And when I got off the train and stepped out onto Sunshine 60, I felt like I would burst with happiness. Except, it was past midnight. In fact, now that I glanced at my watch, it was almost two in the morning. I sighed and took a step to head home, freezing as his words came back to mind. _Check out Southern Ikebukuro Park._

Why? What would I gain from it? Why would I listen to him? Even as I asked myself those questions, I still turned and ran in that direction, my feet flying over the pavement and my bag slapping against my back with every step. I forced myself to run faster and, for some reason, I found myself sprinting to the park gate. I grab the railing to slow myself down, almost losing my footing as I turned to face the park. There was a large group of people gathered. Okay, it was'nt just large. It was quite huge. But as I glanced around at them, bewillered and slightly scared this was some sort of gang meeting or something, I noticed a flash of familiar blonde hair and I felt myself moving forward, despite my initial fear.

"Shizuo?" I pushed past the people as I noticed that blonde head turn towards me. I called out again and pushed some more people out of the way. And finally I could see him from in between a few people. And I felt my breath hitch. For two reasons. One, because of my seemingly strong feelings for him in _that_ sense. And two, because the familiar bartender clothing was ripped and cut in places and small amounts of red had seeped into his clothing.

I pushed some more people out the way and rushed over to him, eyes focused on the wounds on his arms and torso. I brushed the fabric slightly in certain places, peering at the small but numerous wounds. I glanced up at his face when I noticed that the cuts escalated higher. And his expression was one of shock. He was surprised to see me, at the very least. And as I peered up at his uncovered brown eyes (I mentally noted that his glasses were missing), I realized how close I was. I felt my throat dry up and my cheeks felt like they were on fire, but I still couldn't bring myself to move away. Even worse, when I noticed a bead of red travel down the side of his face, I reached up and brushed the hair away from the source, moving closer still. I peered at the few cuts on his cheeks, brushing them slightly.

It was only then I noticed just _how _close I was. I was practically completely pressed up against him, and his hands were hovering behind me as if he was about to hold me.

I swear I blushed so hard I could see steam coming off of me in my peripheral vision. I swallowed thickly and stepped back, flinching as his hand hit my back. At that it felt like we both jumped away from each other, though I'm sure it was just me jumping quite far away. I stared at him, my cheeks still flaming and I grabbed his hand and turned away. I heard him mutter a "hey" of protest but I ignored it.

"I'm patching you up. No complaints." I tugged one more time on his hand, turning slightly to glance back at him. He sighed and sped up, falling in step beside me as I directed us back to my apartment. It was silent as we walked. I wasn't willing to ask and he wasn't willing to talk, so we just ambled on. Until at one point, we heard a shout something akin to "gimme your money". But before I could turn around and look, Shizuo had already spun around and sent the man flying. I watched as he went and shook my head slightly.

I pulled again and he turned once more and followed me through the darkened street of Ikebukuro. And all the while my hand was still firmly clasped in his.

**~ Chapter Word Count: 3296**

**End Comments: Okay, for starters, I wish to, once again, express my gratitude to all you nutters (no offence) who are still watching for some updates on this story. I really appreciate your patience and I'm sorry this took freaking forever to come out. TT^TT  
OH IMPORTANT! I haven't had a chance to beta read this yet, but I really wanted to post this tonight for you guys, so if there are an typos, let me know please.  
…Does anyone actually read these piece-of-crud comments? Just curious.  
Oh, and if you do, enlighten me.  
Do you prefer long ass chapters like this one or short ass chapters like the one where she was kidnapped? ~**


	14. Chapter 14

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Oh my god. I am so sorry you guys. It's been four months. Four months – four? Five? I don't even know anymore - since I last updated. You know what? Just hate me. Just- Just- Seriously. Let me hear your hate, because otherwise I feel so undeserving of such wonderful fans. Honestly. You guys and so…..afshsfbabfasfanfka. I can't even. 48 reviews? THAT'S FRICKIN' INCREDIBLE! So just flame me for a bit okay? Let me hear your rage, if you haven't already rage-quit. 3  
But for now, let me just say welcome back and I'm sorry if this chapter doesn't live up to your expectations. ~**

**Chapter 14:**

I stared at the chocolate gateau cake that sat on the shelf. It sat, so innocently alluring, chocolate shimmering behind the thin glass wall that separated us. I felt my mouth water and numbly lifted a hand to wipe my chin. Half of me was itching to storm in and demand a plate and a fork. The other half was thinking of my tight budget.

I shifted slightly as I felt the prickles of stares from passersby, drilling intently into my back as they walked the crowded streets of Ikebukuro. I tore my gaze away from the cake to glance at my watch.

Twelve thirty. I'd been staring through this shop window for the past fifteen minutes. Now only ten remained for me to go get some lunch.

My gaze shifted back to the cake. I battled with myself a few moments more before straightening and striding inside. I stepped out, two minutes later, with a receipt in my pocket and my wallet considerably lighter. I dropped down to the pavement and walked back to the sop, a smile on my lips.

By that time, it was nearing the end of the fourth day since my…strange experience in Shinjuku. My mind still wondered back to Izaya's words. "_When you're around Shizu-chan, he's happy. When he's happy, I'm unhappy._"

My lips pulled down into a frown as the thought struck again. Just what did that _mean_? Shizuo wasn't happy when he hung around me. That's was just ridiculous….Wasn't it? I felt my heart suddenly pound in my chest and I pressed a hand gently to my warming cheek. I continued walking, wide-eyed, staring at the pavement.

"No. No, that can't be right. Izaya has to be wrong about that." I nodded to myself confidently as I crossed the road when the light turned green.

Another thought hit me and my confidence faltered. "But he was always right, wasn't he?" I bit my lip, pausing at a red light.

"But, he's only human, so he has to be wrong sometimes. Oh, wait…. Maybe….. Maybe he's _not_ human?" I froze at that thought. Uh, I don't like that idea. "Pfft, come on, Hana, be realistic, just because you know a guy with incredible strength…and a woman without a head…doesn't…..mean….."

I stared at the asphalt as the light changed back to red and the cars started forward again. I turned away from the road, hands covering my face as that thought settled. "Oh my god, he's a freaky alien." I swallowed thickly and thought the idea over.

But, before I could come to a final conclusion, I felt a hand tap my shoulder. I jumped away from the source, barely keeping my balance as I gaped at the surprised eyes that stared at me from behind purple-tinted glasses. I lowered my arms and sighed in relief as I glanced up at him, a nervous smile on my lips. My eyes instinctively wandered to the faded but numerous pink lines that ran across his cheeks and forehead. He lowered his hand and I walked back over to him, a hand on my chest.

"Don't scare me like that." I sighed and looked up at the man who stood almost two heads taller than me. He raised an eyebrow at me and I beamed up at him, my warm cheeks increasing in temperature as the seconds ticked on. I chewed my lip slightly, scratching the back of my neck lightly.

"Don't you have work now?" I glanced up at the low query, twitching when I brushed against him as someone bumped into me. I smiled and nodded, stepping in the direction of Russian Sushi. My lips stretched ever-so slightly wider and I felt a strange warmth engulf me when Shizuo fell in step beside me, the back of his had lightly brushing mine as we stepped through the crowd. It spread from my chest out to the very tips of my fingers as a strange tingling sensation. My heart was pounding so hard and so loud from such simple gesture. As cliché as it may seem, I could honestly swear anyone standing or _walking next to me_ could hear it.

Needless to say, that ever-present blush began to steadily darken on my cheeks.

I swallowed thickly and mentally begged my heart to slow down. I glanced at him from my peripheral vision and, once again, I found myself enthralled by his profile. The simple structure of his face: the high-cheekbones and the narrow brown eyes that were staring right back at me, the sharp and angular chin and- Wait, what?

Brown eyes looking at me? I refocused my gaze on his eyes and, sure enough, he was staring right back at me…..I-I literally felt like steam was rising off my face; I could practically hear the sizzling behind my ears. I couldn't even begin to analyse the expression visible in those clear eyes – I simply felt like crawling under a rock and hide away forever. The steam continued to rise and for some stupid, STUPID, _STUPID_ reason, I couldn't bring myself to duck my head in shame like I should have.

_Yes_, I had been caught. _Yes_, I was embarrassed to no end. _Yes_, I wanted to look away to hide the blush and embarrassment, but the urge to keep my eyes on him was overwhelming. If I had to make a judgment now, I would say that the expression hovering in his eyes was something akin to either irritation or amusement – I really couldn't tell at the time.

In the end, what snapped me out of my trance was Simon's voice booming over the crowd. I knew I was late, and I didn't even realise I had been walking whilst our eyes were locked, but the moment I heard my name in that deep Russian accent, I snapped out of it.

I blush increased as I blinked and broke my gaze. I quickly muttered a "see you later", practically tripping over the words, before ducking into the restaurant at lightning speed. I shot into the back room and grabbed my hat from where it hang from before burying my face in it.

Yes. Lady Luck had either cursed me or simply enjoyed watching me wallow in my embarrassment.

I peeked over the tip of the hat to stare and the cream coloured wall across from me, feeling the heat in my cheeks slowly subside as I forced my thoughts towards work and away from Shizuo.

For now, I would work and earn myself some money. This little slip-up would be dealt with the next time I met up with Shizuo.

**~ Chapter Word Count: 1105**

**End Comments: Now, I gotten a few bits of feedback from some of you concerning my question about long or short chapters. From the answers I received, most of you prefer longer chapters. So, I'll try make these chapters be more on the lines of 1000 words. This will, however, make my updates less frequent, since they'll be done in more than one sit-in, naturally.  
Also, this is a fairly important year in my school life (ifrickinghateyearslikethis), so I can't really write in class anymore. Of course, if I get a slap of inspiration, the only thing that'll stop me from writing in school is if I'm in the middle of an exam.  
Speaking of which, I should really start revising for the exams I have starting this Friday. TT^TT  
Once more, sorry if this didn't live up to your expectations; I'm just forcing myself back into this. :D ~**


	15. Thank you

Excuse me while I just ….!

I'm sorry, this isn't an update but I could not wait until the next time I update to right this.

YOU PEOPLE ARE SO FRICKIN WONDERFUL AND AMAZING.

My god. First day after I upload the next chapter and suddenly I have another 4 or 5 reviews? All going on about how much they love the story? Just…Just….

I'm literally shaking from how happy I am right now. OH GOD. And the sound that comes out my mouth every time I read your reviews. YOU PEOPLE. YOU PEOPLE I LOVE YOU ALL SO DAMN MUCH.

My chest literally swelled and I couldn't breathe. I can just reference myself after I read your reviews for the way Hana acts. THAT'S ANOTHER THING. You guys really like her? I've never had an OC that's got so much love. –

If I ever, EVER meet you guys….I will hug the hell out of you. Seriously. No one even said anything about my taking four months to update! You're such good people. /sobsob

Okay. /stillshaking NOW, I'm so pumped to write more chapters. I'll be off in Spain next week anyway, so I'll try to write something there. :D You guys really made my day. Now, I really don't mind spending it doing homework. ohgodımstillshakingO3O

AGAIN: _**I LOVE YOU SO MCH AND THANK YOU FOR KEEPING WITH THIS STORY.**_


	16. Chapter 15

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Oh god. Again? This time, I seriously thought that'd it'd only been, like, a month since my last update. And I go check, and it's like "last updated: November 30****th****". And I just thought "welp. Everything i do turns to ass."  
No. Not really. Actually this time, I was half aware that it was getting longer and longer. I actually wrote this chapter in January. But due to school business and such I haven't been able to get back to it much. BUT. Here I am once more. And this time, when I looked at that "last updated: November 30****th****", I thought "BIATCH. DA FUQ YOU THINK THIS IS? WHERE MY NEXT CHAPTER? LET'S GET IT; LEGO!"  
No, but seriously. I'm back for another chapter. Enjoy it, and remember to repeatedly harass me for another one. Because I forget. Yeah. **_**godI'msuchabadauthor DDD:  
**_**BE WARNED. LONG CHAPTER IS not-so-long-but-still-is-kinda-long-LOOOOONG. To make up for my absence. :D Go, go, go! ~**

**Chapter 15:**

This day couldn't have gotten any worse.

I mean, it _could._ It could have been as bad as that time I crushed my hand in the elevator doors, and then lost my keys, and slept through my work shift. And that time I almost got hit by a car. Not to mention the time I was almost kidnapped. Oh, and that time-

Fine. So it _could _have been worse.

But still, it was a bad day.

To start off, I was way late for work, which seemed the norm for that specific week. Late nights weren't a factor, but rather a strange premonition of loss, and the brief and haunting nightmares that accompany such a thought.

I had arrived an hour or so into my shift that particular day, once more wondering why I hadn't been fired yet. Simon quickly handed over my flyers and I set to work, double time, pushing flyers into the hands of anyone who seemed even vaguely interested in the store (which, I should point out, wasn't a large number of the crowd).

Next problem: I quickly became a serving disaster. As soon as I stood up and took a single step away from any table, somehow, in some strange way, the plates would suddenly slip and gush the remaining oil all over my white shirt and blue tracksuits. And I would find myself in the back of the store, furiously wiping down my clothes with a damp dish cloth. My hair was also well oiled by the end of the day, and Simon let me shrug my coat on and immediately haul myself out of the store, a dark cloud floating over my head, despite the reassuring words that resounded from behind me.

I dragged myself through the darkening streets, glancing up occasionally to see pale wisps of pastel pink and orange sunlight receding into the west. Worn black trainers dragging steadily across the streets of the city, I slowly made my way home. It wasn't until I wandered into a smaller street off the main road that I felt something was wrong. I glanced up at the windscreen of a car as I passed it, taking note of a few people a couple metres behind me, some walking the opposite way. A couple houses down, I stole another glance at the glass, feeling my heart thump as I noticed a single figure just 10 metres back. I swallowed and slowly began to move my legs faster, trying my best not to draw his attention, if he really was following me.

As I turned a corner and stopped a few steps away from it, at the mouth of an alleyway, I looked back to see the man cross to the other side of the street, walking the opposite direction. I sighed heavily, my shoulders sagging in relief. Paranoia. Needless stress in exchange for possible survival. I smiled to myself, shaking my head, moving to step away from the corner and continue.

And suddenly, a hand clamped on my shoulder and a shriek tore out of my throat as I swung my small fist out towards where I assumed the head of the attacker would be. I heard a yelp and quickly stole a glance at the assailant before turn to run off.

And then I paused. I looked back at the man, both hands gripping his head, clasped over his right eye. But the pristine suit and cropped black hair was unmistakable.

"Oh god. I'm s-so sorry. Are you okay? You just…just snuck up…on me...I-I just...really paranoid…and-and-sorry….sorry?" The man glared at me with his good eye, and, panicking, I stared down at the most frequent and probably one of the wealthiest customers to visit the restaurant. I bit my lip, hesitating, and watched as he straightened, his lips slowly pressing into an irritated line.

Even with the height difference and the distance between us, I could smell the pricey cigars on his breath and the pungent scent of what seemed to be alcohol. I resisted the urge to gag.

I opened my mouth to apologize again, to hide my disgust but he beat me to it.

"Are you an idiot? What do you think you're doing? Do you know who I am? What do you think is going to happen to you now? I'm not just going to let this go, you know. I expect compensation." I blinked each time he bombarded my brain with another question, my mouth opening and closing as I tried to answer him, and my legs instinctively moving backwards as he stepped closer.

My back hit the wall and I could feel myself shrink as he continued his tirade. "Shall I take it out on the restaurant? Shall I sue them for reckless employees? Shall I make the old man regret coming here? Regret hiring you? Shall I get that big fellow sent back to where he came from?"

I narrowed my eyes. How dare he? How dare he threaten them? Who the hell did he think he was? Blood boiled beneath my skin and I grit my teeth and I pushed him back lightly, words I don't even remember tumbling from my lips. It was reckless. The man was who he thought he was, after all: a rich person with a lot of connections. And an ass, but that was my own opinion of him.

Now that I think back on it, it was all very cliché. Like a moment out of some sort of manga or anime. Very dramatic. If I remember right, I had hair caught in my eyelashes too, which at the time was very annoying, but now adds to the ridiculously melodramatic effect of the entire affair.

Anyhow. Then my back was back against the wall, and the man was spitting insults at my face and it was all I could do not to spit in his mouth as he spoke. His hands were like vices around my arms, and I could feel the circulation slowing. I struggled, but he was larger and stronger than me. My gag reflexes were pushing against my throat as his breath spread across my face, springing tears to my eyes.

I prayed that, if I got out of this situation without getting the restaurant into trouble, I'd never ask for anything again.

And, without warning, the grip on my arms was gone and the choking scent of his breath absent from my nose. There was a strange metallic clanging and a brief huff of breath before I opened my eyes and felt my heart leap. I stared at the figure before me, barely more than a silhouette in the faded amber lamplight.

The delight I felt at seeing him, the lean figure, the crisp black and white bartender uniform and the mass of blonde curls that was his hair, was quickly crushed by the expression in his eyes. A fire had started in my chest, swirling throughout my body before settling into a warm glow in the pit of my stomach. Now, it froze, falling to pieces and being replaced by a hollow feeling that I couldn't quite place.

His arm was extended outwards, his fist where the man's face had previously been. I glanced over to see a limp outline shakily getting to his feet. I turned my attention back to Shizuo as he moved forward, the rage still visibly burning. I looked back at the man, whose legs shook violently as he leaned against the wall of the house across the street. Despite his previous actions, I felt a sense of sympathy flare up as he practically began to beg. Shizuo's eyebrow ticked.

And I don't really know what happened next. Shizuo took off again with his fist raised and I had somehow disengaged myself from the wall and was now standing in front of the man, my arms protectively cast out. I tensed my jaw as I saw shock flash across his face.

And, abruptly, the situation sunk in for the both of us.

His foot slammed down, skidding across the rapidly shortening distance between us and sending gravel in all directions. I could see him crushing his teeth together as I felt a sense of panic jolt through me.

The previously unnamed feeling, I now recognised. It was one I had never felt when I was with Shizuo. The most primal of emotions and one that I had frequently experienced since I had arrived to Ikebukuro.

Fear.

I watched his fist grow ever closer, the fist that had curled gently around my hand as he pulled me up from the shallows of a fountain; the fingers that had so gently held my own whilst we had walked through the streets together; the hand that I had nurtured back to its original state after it had been stabbed by a pen. I swallowed slightly and felt my instincts take over, scrunching my eyes shut and turning my face down slightly. I forced my arms to stay up for the man's sake.

I stood waiting for the pain to blossom. But it didn't. Instead, I felt my hair fly back over my shoulder and hesitantly opened my eyes open to see the hand that I so adored hovering just an inch from my face. I swallowed thickly, feeling a drop of cold sweat back its way down my back. I had never particularly realised just how _scary_ Shizuo could be.

Though, I suppose I did now.

I suddenly remembered when he first told me about his strength. _I'll do __my best not to make you angry then_, I had promised him. Does this qualify? Have I angered him by getting in his way? The man was already gone, so for what purpose would I have angered him now?

I glanced up at him and felt myself go limp when I noticed the expression apparent in his eyes. Pain and guilt, almost hidden but still visible. Just so, but it was there. And I felt my heart twist and screech in my chest as his fist pulled back and he began to turn away.

It was on instinct that I reached out and curled my fingers into his sleeve. It was on instinct that when he tried to pull his arm out of my grip, I tightened my hold on his sleeve. It was on instinct that I stepped in front of him to block his way.

But it was that pure unrelenting urge, the pull that I had felt for weeks on end, which pushed me to wrap my arms around his torso and bury my face in his chest. I could feel him tense around me and, for a moment, I was afraid he would push me away.

Instead, I repressed my sheer delight as he hesitantly placed a hand on my back. I smiled into the black vest as his arms slowly but surely wrapped around me. A shaky half laugh tumbled from my lips. Tightening my arms and pressing myself closer, I relished his smell, the mixture of nicotine and something similar to pinecones, and savoured the warmth and security I felt in his arms.

The fear ebbed away as minutes passed. And still I didn't let go. I could tell he was still slightly uncomfortable being hugged but the anger no longer lingered. He was calm and I was calm and there was a strange sense of content that I felt, even as pink adorned my cheeks.

I felt his chest shift as his arms loosened and my blush chose the precise moment when I looked up to flood my face. I ducked my head and quickly let go, stepping back. What sounded like a huff of amusement came from him as he muttered "come on" and stepped out of the house-owner's front garden. I ran after him, brushing some hair back and feeling my lips twitch upwards.

He glanced at me then, and I held my breath as I etched his face into my mind once more. I felt my fingers search his out, clasping them delicately around his hand. I noted the warmth that engulfed my hand and steadily spread up my arm, reigniting the fire that had started in the pit of my stomach.

And alongside it, I recorded his voice, soft and low, gentle and soothing.

"I'll walk you back."

**~ Chapter Word Count: 2062**

**End Comments: /flips desk over and throws computer out of window  
-  
Shall I tell you guys why I really want to stop writing this story? Like, forget everything else (school, personal life, etc.) None of that is really any reason.  
The real reason is that I've recently realised that this story is almost finished. And after that, I don't know what to do, so I'm trying to drag this out as long as possible. It might not be a good thing, but I am, essentially, as selfish person when it comes to things like this. I don't want to stop writing about this.  
Aha, but I suppose that's kinda glum, isn't it.  
ALRIGHT. Cheerful and inspired. That's what I'm aiming for here. But all I want to do is crawl in bed and sleep.  
D: Boo-fricken-hoo-hoo-hoo… ~**


	17. Chapter 16

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Oh goooooood. Why is it always 4 months between updates for this fic? Seriously. It's like every 4 months I have a durarara fan-attack that disappears in less than a week. Anywho. This story's almost over, so I'm aiming to finish it before the 2 year mark this November. =U But my inspiration is low and I need to watch certain episodes again. But that's more my fault. ANYWAY. Enjoy this next instalment. I lost my few notes for this chapter so I have NO idea what I'm doing. As is per usual. ~**

**Chapter 16:**

The next few days were quite nice. If I hadn't known better, I'd have said it was a dream. But it couldn't have been, because around this time, the only dream I would have was the same nightmare on repeat. I knew better. It was all reality.

After the incident with the customer of the restaurant (who, I am pleased to say, decided not to press charges and completely avoids me when he comes in for lunch), Shizuo began walking me home every night. It was really strange at first; I stepped out and stopped dead in front of the restaurant the first time. He was just standing there, his hands in his pockets, staring at the sky. And when I went over to nudge him, he just looked at me and said "yo". And somehow he ended up walking me back to my apartment complex, just like that first night when I fell in the fountain. Except, you know, I wasn't soaked to the bone and thoroughly embarrassed – just a little bit embarrassed.

Anyway, I like to think that the incident improved our relationship a little. Okay, a little more than a little. Maybe quite a bit. Well….it certainly had _an_ impact. I can't say how much really. But if he's taken to walking me home, that's an improvement, right? Right?

Right. And it was on one of those clear nights, where the air is crisp and the stars are visible, with the streets bustling even at the late hour…Yes, it was on one of those nights that things changed.

We had been walking again, and I'd only recently left work, when our phones both went off at the same time. I pulled mine out and flipped it open, expecting to see another message from my sister. Instead, I saw a short message: _Everyone in the Dollars! This is an emergency. _I frowned and quickly logged into the site to see the main message board brimming with posts. They were all about the gang obsessed with yellow and a young girl from Raira academy. The various posts described her, and at the top of the page stood the message I had just received, from who I assumed to be the "Leader".

I snapped the phone shut, and glanced at Shizuo as he pocketed his own and started walking again. I trotted along, but it wasn't long before we paused again as the message alerts played again. It was from the same number and said "_Everyone come together and help out!_" I frowned again, before snapping the phone shut and placing back in my pocket. As Shizuo did the same, we started off again.

_Beep. B-Beep. Beep. B-Bee-_

Another message. _"I found the girl. I got her to escape out the back of the Orb Ikebukuro building. They're still after her." _Another one straight after. _"Anyone nearby?"_ Snap the phone shut, pocket it, and walk.

We barely walked two steps without another message coming up.

"_The gourds, gaurds, guards for the Orb Ikebukuro building are in the Dollars. Under and out!" _…Must be a foreigner or something. Snap, pocket, walk. Glance at Shizuo. He's getting irritated.

Beep. B-Beep. Beep. B-Beep-

"_That's the area I work in!" _Beep. B-Bee- _"I helped out a bit. To be honest, I was thinking of quitting…" _Bee- _"Don't quit!" "You can't!" "Figured you'd come back."_

Snap. Pocket. Walk.

Beep. B-Beep. Bee-

"_Where'd the girl go?"_

Snap. Pocket. Wal-

Beep. B-Beep. Be-

"_She transformed into a bunny!"_

His eyebrow is ticking. That's not good.

Snap. Pocket. W-

Beep. B-Beep. B-

"_Where'd the bunny go? If you see it, report immediately!"_

His fingers are twitching ever so slightly now.

Snap. Poc-

Beep. B-Bee-

"_There are more people with yellow around" "This is bad" "Find her!"_

Snap. Wait. Nothing. Pocket. Wa-

Beep. B-Beep. Beep. B-Beep. Beep. B-Beep. Beep. B-Beep.

"Shut up!" I jumped as Shizuo's foot left a dent in the pavement. He was waving his bright orange phone around, glaring at the little envelope on the screen. "This thing's been going "beep beep beep" all friggin' day! You think I can read all that? What the hell am I going to do about some girl and a bunny? Shut _up_."

I let out a weak laugh, placing a light hand on his shoulder to try calm him down. But as I looked up, I noticed a group of boys, around my age, give or take, around this young girl in a blue uniform. She had glasses and short black hair. And at her feet, lay a pick bunny costume. Shizuo had noticed too, and was glaring at the man in the purple suit with a nose bleed that was watching him with an increasingly fearful expression.

I sighed as Shizuo stepped closer, before letting out a roar and sending the man flying. He was screaming. Loudly.

There goes another one.

I stepped over to the girl, asking her if she was alright, as my phone vibrated in my pocket twice more. I didn't bother pulling out this time. Instead, I opted to watch as Shizuo sent another man flying before glaring at the remaining men and scaring them off.

Now that I think about it, it would have been very funny to hear or see in a third person position. But experiencing it myself, first-hand, I couldn't quite muster up any amusement. Only a strange form of contentment at seeing Shizuo be his usual self.

As they all went running, the girl bowed and thanked Shizuo. He stared at her blankly for a few seconds before asking who she was. I sighed and stepped over to him, placing a hand on his arm as Celty appeared next to the girl. She nodded at me as Shizuo gave her a brief greeting.

"I'm turning my phone off for the rest of the day. See you." With that, he turned away, and I smiled and bid the two girls good night before following after him, grinning as he glanced at me. His lips twitched up and I let my hand seek out his as we hit the main road.

It had started to rain when we got to my apartment, so I quickly rushed up and down the staircase, returning within record time and thrusting my trusty umbrella in his hands. He stared at it for a moment before turning his attention to me. I rolled my eyes at his hesitance, grabbing his hand and closing it around the handle.

"I've got a spare anyway." He frowned at me a moment longer, before taking the umbrella and opening it up. There was something about the image of him standing there, with my small and humble umbrella from home. It looked so…_endearing_. It brought a huge smile to my face and I couldn't help stepping forward to give him a loose hug. He stiffened slightly and I pulled away, bidding him good night and watching from the door as he hopped down the few steps and walked off, a single hand raised in farewell.

And for some reason. I got this sickening feeling, like I had just dropped fifty feet, when I chanced one last glance at the sight of his fading figure.

There was hot chocolate in the cupboard. It was empty. The cup I had initially reached for had cracked in half before I even touched it. And that sinking feeling I had when I first returned home about half an hour ago hadn't left me even briefly. In fact, it had only gotten worse.

_Bad omens _my brain told me._ Signs. Something bad is happening._

I shook my head. "The store. There should be some at the corner shop." It only came out as a quite murmur, and I could feel my throat tighten as my stomach seemed to plummet.

_Very bad. Something really bad._

I tried to shake the feeling as I quickly pulled on a pair of battered wellington boots and a brown woolly jacket over my pink sweater and grey tracks. I grabbed my keys and my purse and my back-up umbrella, locking the door quietly behind me before slipping down the stairs silently and propping open the umbrella as I stepped out the building.

I glanced about before heading down the steps and turning right as I left the entrance area. Glancing at the row of houses across the street, I realised how thickly the rain was falling; the houses appeared so distorted, and were barely distinguishable. I glanced at the underside of my umbrella watching as the rain drops pelted it and growing increasingly aware of how cold my fingers were becoming.

Damn. I should have taken gloves or something.

I tugged the zip of the coat as far as it would go, turning onto the short road that would take me up to the shop. Shivering as raindrops somehow splattered on my face, I scrunched my nose as a strong stench hit me. It was familiar, almost….metallic. I couldn't place it, but it was getting stronger.

And it hit me when I saw the red on the road. Blood.

My feet stopped moving and I traced the thin trail of crimson to its source. There was a black lump on the path, just a few feet from me, and the smell was becoming more unbearable the closer I got to it.

_A body._ My brain supplied me with the basic info.

And then it clicked.

A _**body**__._

My feet instinctively pulled me forwards as my grip on the umbrella handle loosened, and the soaked canopy structure clanged as it hit the ground.

I swallowed as the stench hit me head on, feeling bile in my throat as I noticed to large puddles around the waist and right leg of the figure. There was an umbrella sitting off to one side, presumably his, and glasses near his head. I placed a hand on the black vest, pearing at the face before it hit me.

Umbrella. Tinged glasses. Black vest and white shirt.

Bartender.

_Shizuo._

I grabbed his shoulder, one hand shaking him and the other furiously searching my pocket for my phone. Wait. My phone. It wasn't in my pocket. It was lying on my coffee table at home, where I'd left it after receiving one last message from the Dollars.

"Shizuo? Shizuo! Wake up! _Shizuo?"_ I couldn't tell if I was crying at this point. Even if I was, it was just mingled with the rain on my face as I clutched his shoulder. His eyes were closed and his hand lay in front of his face, blood on his fingertips.

_Something bad has happened. Something bad has yet to happen._

The though repeated itself in my head, and I could feel the rising panic in my arms as they began to shake violently. I stared at him, before placing my fingers to his throat. It was there. A pulse. Strongly beating against my fingertips as I pulled away and scrambled to my feet.

Glancing around wildly, I rushed up to the nearest house and banged furiously on the door. There was no answer. I scrambled down the steps and rushed to the next, banging and shouting. Still no answer. I continued to move onto the next house, and soon I found myself rushing into the small corner shop, sandy brown hair glued to my face, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. The woman behind the counter looked startled as I rushed over and begged her to call an ambulance.

I was out the door again before she'd even finished nodding.

But as I rushed back to the street, I noticed something strange.

He was gone.

I watched as the rain splattered over the blood, mixing with it and eventually leading it to one of the drains.

All that remained as an indicator that he was ever even here was the umbrella.

I swallowed thickly, my knees trembling as I looked around in the pouring rain. I couldn't hear anything over the sound of splattering water, on the ground or rushing down the drain pipes on the surrounding buildings. I felt numb. I couldn't lift my legs. My eyes remained fixed on the umbrella being pelted by the heavy rain. On the small initials _K.H._ carved into the stub of the handle. Kouno Hana. It was mine. I knew it was the moment I saw it. But this confirmed it. I lifted my head with a great effort to look around again.

My legs still felt numb but I pushed them forward and ran down the street, frantically searching for even a glimpse. But there was nothing. No sign. And by the time I realised how far I was from my apartment, I came to the devastating conclusion that he was gone. How and where, I had no idea.

But he wasn't here.

I could feel my chest tighten and a sob tore from my throat. My eyes were still scanning the area but I knew there was no point. I slowed to a stop in the middle of the street, refusing to look at my surroundings. He wasn't here.

Where was he? Another sob.

_Something bad has happened. Something bad has yet to happen._

I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end as I turned slowly. Even looking directly behind me, I couldn't see the person's face clearly. The only thing I can say is that I felt really sick as I stared at the silhouette like figure before me.

"Shizuo?"

The voice was meek and somewhat hoarse. It didn't sound like me. It couldn't have been. Why would I ask for him despite knowing he wasn't here. It wasn't him, so why was I asking It wasn't him.

So, who was it?

As I continued staring at the figure, unable to move, I felt my head spin. The bile clawed at my throat and all the warning alarms in my head were ringing and clanging and meshing together to give me the biggest migraine I ever had.

The figure reached out a hand and my own moved automatically to meet it. But it passed by, and instead clamped over my mouth. Instinct compelled me to grab the hand as it pressed down on my face. My stomach churned as I felt my head spin and began to lose the feeling in my knees.

_Shizuo…._

Everything was getting really blurry. I couldn't even distinguish the figure in the rain anymore.

_Shizuo…._

Everything went black and one last thought passed through my mind.

_Are you…really dead?_

**~ Chapter Word Count: 2429**

**End Comments: You guys don't know how long it took to start this chapter. I just couldn't decide. D: I kinda gave a clue as to what was going to be in the chapter in the previous one, but I wonder if anyone picked up on it. :D  
And oh god, I'm so rusty. I haven't been writing much lately and now my style has suffered. D,: Uh…there was something I was going to say….oh! The second part. I wasn't really sure if that was the same day or not (now that I think about it, it may have been the next day), but for this particular argument, I'm pulling out the creative licence card. So there.  
I had originally planned to make this into 3 separate parts, but in order to make up for my absence and to push the story along, I just put it all together into one big one. So sorry if it feels a little jumpy. I need to get back into this.  
Also. I had to watch this episode again for reference. OH GOD THE FEELS. THE FEEEEEEELS. THE NEVER-ENDING PAIN OF SEEING THAT IMAGE. AFHGAJDUAHGAHGANGA~**


	18. Chapter 17

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Ah~ I wanted to post this earlier, but I kept getting distracted. OTL I'm such a bad author. But! Including this, there are only 2 or 3 chapters left. o3o Uh….I don't know what else I wanted to say, so I'm just gonna go ahead and get this chapter started. ;D ~**

**Chapter 17:**

When next I opened my eyes, it was to the dimly lit inside of a small van. I could feel the steady vibrations originating from the running engine against my cheek and I gingerly shifted my position to look at the driver's seat behind me. There sat a man, dressed in black, glasses covering his eyes and brown hair hiding most of his face. I could see the shoulder of another person, but I couldn't twist my head far enough to see.

My heart clenched as my brain began to steadily process the facts and the previous events of the night came flooding back to me. I swallowed thickly and glanced around again. Minimal light filtered through the tinted trunk door window, most likely from street lamps, judging by the way the concentration of light faded and returned in regular intervals. I stared out at what I could see of the sky, frowning.

My throat felt sore and I could feel my temples pulse and my eyes burn. I closed them, laying my head down gently. Suddenly, the car hit something solid and my eyes snapped open when I felt myself slide along the car floor and hit the backs of the front seats. The men shouted as the car remained suspended in the air; one door opened and I listened as one man scrambled out.

And I took that moment to notice how unafraid I was. This whole scenario was very familiar. More shouting as the car came down. I felt myself crash again and winced, attempting to twist around. I paused as I heard the remaining front door creak in protest before the metal shrieked as it was torn away from the car frame. There was only one person who could do that. The other man cried out as he was flung from the vehicle, landing with an audible thud somewhere away from the car.

And then the sound of firm footsteps reached my ears. I couldn't believe what was happening. I felt almost giddy. The steps paused outside the back of the car and I stared intensely at the black shape framed in the window. The back door clicked open and I could see the ever familiar silhouette against the bright, artificial lights. My heart automatically started pounding against my ribs. It felt surreal; like a wonderful dream.

But that's exactly what it was. A dream.

Because in the next moment, I opened my eyes to find the door firmly shut and to the sound of a running engine. I could feel moisture gathering in the corners of my eyes. Of course it was a dream. Because the real Shizuo…

I turned and buried my face in the floor of the car. There was no one to save me this time. I was probably going to die as well, disappearing like so many others who had fallen victim to human trafficking.

I opened my eyes, frowning. Why was I so calm? I stared at the strands of brownish-gold hair that were strewn just a few centimetres from my face. It curved and fitted around the unevenness of the soft material of the floor. I felt like I was detached, and a part of my brain was screaming at me not to give into it. I kept thinking "what's the point?" as I lay there. I could feel a tug in my chest, something pulling me to get up and attempt to find a way out of this situation. I tried to ignore it, but the tug continued and strengthened into a firm yank on my heartstrings. There was something that was jerking and towing me in the right direction and I couldn't help but scan my surroundings for something to spark an escape.

I had to get out of here. I had to.

And then the car stopped. And my stomach plummeted. The engine was left running as the front doors opened and I heard the men step out, talking with someone. I strained my ears to catch snippets of their conversation but was more focussed on using this as a chance to escape. If my hands and legs weren't bound….If I could just get them free. I squirmed against the ropes, but to no avail. They were firmly knotted and done so tightly that I could the skin on my ankles getting torn off as I moved.

I froze when the back door clicked and opened, allowing the yellow tinted light to shine in and illuminate my haggard appearance. I stared at the 5 or so men standing there. None of them were panicking about the fact that I was wide awake and blatantly staring at them. They seemed at ease and I felt my stomach churn. They were confident. There was an overwhelming amount of confidence and assurance radiating off them and I knew what they were thinking in that instant. It didn't matter if I saw their faces; I wouldn't live long enough to tell anyone anyway.

I swallowed thickly as two of them reached in and pulled me out. One took over as I was removed from the van and made to stand on my bound feet. As I was pushed forward, I felt the rope on my legs refuse to follow and soon found myself splayed out on the hard concrete road. Sparing a tired glance back, I watched as one of the men tugged on the rope that had most likely caught on something. He frowned as it refused to give and quickly produced a knife, cutting the rope and pocketing it just as swiftly. The remaining rope fell away and I felt myself being pulled to my feet.

I cast another look around as I was dragged over to another car. We were on the highway. The large fencing along one side of the road was an obvious give away. I was stopped as the men paused to negotiate a price. There was a firm vice-like grip on my arm and I couldn't help but twitch as it pulled on my arm uncomfortably.

I stared on the ground, focussing my eyes on a particularly unusual mark on the road, one that looked as if a metal object had been crudely scraped along the ground. I frowned and shook my head. Now was not the time for that. I had to think. I felt my brow furrow even more. Just some sort of spark of inspiration. Give me something. I shifted my foot, feeling my leg going numb slightly, continuing to think. It felt really weird having an entire numb leg. I lifted my foot and tapped it on the ground, sending jolts up the leg as I froze. I could move my foot separately.

I stared down at the rope that now lay loosely around my ankles. When it had gotten caught, it must have loosened. And when it was cut, it must have come completely undone. I felt my heart begin to pound. This was it. This was my chance. Now I just needed something to distract them.

And just as that thought passed through my mind, I could almost feel Lady Luck smile upon me. Because not a second later, my eyes were drawn to the lights of a car speeding down the road towards us. I could tell none of the men had planned on negotiations drawing out this long and all of them froze for a moment. So I went ahead and stole my moment.

I lifted my foot and slammed it down as hard as I possibly could on the shoe behind me. I heard the answering yelp of pain and yanked my arm free in the second it loosened. I heard one of the others shout, but, ignoring it, I slammed down my foot and pushed off. I practically threw myself in the direction of the lights, sprinting as fast as my legs would allow me. I winced as the numb leg slipped slightly but forced myself to carry on.

I could hear it now. It was the steady thrum of an engine. I ran towards it, feeling my energy failing and my head spinning.

I couldn't see as the car neared. The lights were blinding and I could see it taking over my entire vision. Everything was turning white as my legs gave way.

And behind the various shouting and shrieking, I could hear what sounded like the neighing of a horse before I completely blacked out.

**~ Chapter Word Count: 1414**

**End Comments: Welp! How was that? I hope you guys liked this one. Fun fact, the idea for this chapter was what pushed me to write this entire story! :D**

**Also, OH MY LORD, 102 REVIEWS?! YOU PEOPLE ARE WONDERFUL AND I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH.**

**To continue on that note, to my absolute delight and astonishment, I've been getting some wonderful guest reviews! So, since I can't reply to them personally, I'll write what I would like to say to said guests here, in order from most recent to earliest:  
Sammykitten: I'm so very happy to see that you like Hana! I can't tell you how many times I worry that she's not a likeable character. OTL So seeing people say that always comforts me. Thank you very much!  
Guest(2): I'm back and here's your update XD I hope you like it!  
Guest(1): Haha, sorry, but here's another cliff-hanger. ;P I'm glad to know you think this story is good at all orz  
Morgan: I'm so glad to see that you love this story of mine! Here's your update! XD  
Randomperson: Ah, you'll make me blush if you call this little thing "awesome". Here's another chapter for you to read! (love your name, by the way)**

**Of course, all these feelings extend to all my dear readers, not just my reviewers. I can honestly say that I go beyond describable feelings when I see how many people read this fic. But! I shall save this for the very last chapter of this story.**

**Which, like I said before, is coming soon! I'll let you guys know about what I'm planning after then too.**

**But for now, thank you for your support and I'll try update soon! ~**


	19. Chapter 18

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Oho man. I'm not even gonna attempt to excuse myself at this point. I am just so very sorry for how long this took. Enjoy OTL ~**

**Chapter 18:**

I opened my eyes. Above me hovered a wooden ceiling, blushed yellow from the bright sunlight filtering through bamboo green filters that stood in front of two large glass doors on the wall across from me. It was warm, but not uncomfortably so, and some undistinguishable noises slipped through my ears and past my consciousness.

I blinked blearily at the ceiling. What had happened? Where was I? I tried to recall the past events, but my mind drew up a blank. Had something serious happened to me? I forced my eyes to peer around the room, ignoring the searing ache it sent through my temples. I was lying on a futon, my tawny hair splayed out around me and my body entirely numb. I attempted to move, to shift my arm, to roll over, but my body wasn't responding. The walls were a pastel yellow, with a set of light walnut drawers in one corner, beside the windows. Behind me, there was a single green door and a small wooden table propped against the wall. To my left there was another stand, pushed right against the wall to leave room for the futon I lay on. The surrounding floor was bamboo green and next to me sat a single cream cushion. I attempted to move again and, feeling my arm shift this time, reached towards the pillow. As my palm brushed it, it registered in my mind that the fabric was still warm. Someone had been sitting here quite recently.

Frowning at the thought, I pushed myself up into an upright position, wincing as my stomach muscles protested at the movement. I looked down at myself, noting the slightly oversized set of pastel blue pyjamas that hung from my body. I had gotten slimmer. Not much, but enough to be noticeable. I furrowed my brow and glanced around again. There was noise still coming in from the white door and I sat straining to pick out what it was. There were two male voices, one considerably deeper than the other. Then footsteps, a couple more words passed and then a door opened and closed and the deeper voice was gone.

At this point, I still couldn't remember anything, so I tried reciting facts to myself. My name was Kouno Hana. I was twenty-two years old. Blood type O. Born December 6th. Star sign Sagittarius. Of approximately 170cm height. I originally lived in Numazu but had recently moved it Ikebukuro. I had a younger sister. I worked in a sushi restaurant.

I continued counting out facts, hands pressed against my head as I rocked back and forth. Just as my head started to pound as I tried to recall more recent events, there was a loud clattering and the sound of something breaking on the other side of the door, followed by an almost pitiful cry of dismay. It sent me automatically lurching to my feet and staggering to the door. Pushing my previous paranoia aside, I yanked the door open, leaning against the door frame as the dizziness caught up with me. It opened to a hallway and sounds continued flowing from a black door with a thin glass strip at the end of it.

Pushing off the frame and gently shutting the door behind me, I slipped towards the door, opening it slowly and peering in. The familiarity of the room hit me instantly and names appeared in my mind. Celty and Shinra.

So that was where I was. Why I was there, I remained oblivious to. Poking my head around the door properly, I took note of the splattered remains of an egg across the floor and a now shattered glass bowl. Blinking at the mess, I lifted my head to stare at the ever sheepish culprit. He scratched the back of his head as the figure without a head, whose back was turned to me, typed what was most likely a large set of reprimanding words.

Shinra laughed again and apologized, before locking eyes with mine. As he did so, Celty turned to look at me as well, her hands instantly flying across the screen of her PDA.

[Sorry, did we wake you up? How are you feeling?] I blinked as my brain took a few moments to process the questions and formulate an answer. I opened my mouth but could only produce a short croak. Shinra was already ahead of me. Stepping around Celty and gingerly avoiding the catastrophe on the floor, he handed me a glass of water, a hand placed lightly on my shoulder as I gulped the liquid down. I could feel the cool rush sink to the pit of my stomach and I cleared my throat before trying again.

"Thank you. I'm feeling fine." It was still a little scratchy, but it was definitely my own voice. I smiled at the two of them and Shinra smiled back gently.

"You shouldn't push yourself. You've been sleeping for almost two days." I stared blankly. Two days. Why was I sleeping for so long? I frowned at him, blinking as I tried to remember. A hand instinctively went to my forehead as the ache amplified substantially. I opened my eyes to see Shinra cast a brief look of worry at Celty before the brown haired doctor led me to the couch. Celty walked over and sat next to me, sending Shinra to clean up the mess in the kitchen.

Tapping the screen again, she presented her next question. [Do you remember what happened?] When I shook my head, she began typing again. I read over her shoulder, watching as she typed, erased and repeated with incredible speed. Accident. Thugs. Highway. Car. Bike. Arrested. As she wrote these words, images came back to me. Of being tied up and gagged. Of the inside of a van. Of men with stern faces in suits. And of a bright light.

And something else. A body lying in a downpour, blood seeping steadily but surely and mixing with the rainwater. And a name. A name that made my heart clench oh so painfully in my chest. A sob built up in my chest as the pale face and soaked hair flashed in front of me again. That was it. That was what I didn't want to remember. And just as the tears threatened to fall and I was about to fall apart, I realised something important.

"Oh, Celty. You should call Shizuo and let him know she's awake. I bet he'll come running back."

I discovered that a doctor like Shinra can save a life in more ways than one.

**~ Chapter Word Count: 1102**

**End Comments: End. Thanks for reading. ~**


	20. Chapter 19

**Mitigate**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Durarara…or Shizuo. TT^TT  
****Comments: Long chapter for a long absence. Enjoy ~**

**Chapter 19:**

Those next few moments were a blur. One second I was sitting next to Celty, eyes wide and my heart in my throat, brain trying and failing to process what was just said. And the next, I was throwing myself out the door of the apartment building, feet landing on the pavement with an audible smack, skidding haphazardly, and eyes frantically flitting from side to side, trying to determine where I was.

I gave up on that endeavour after just a few moments and sped down one way of the street. It had clicked in my head that the deeper voice I had heard as I woke up had been him. Which meant he was likely to still be nearby. Which meant I could see him. As I rounded the corner, I reared back as a distinctly male chest blocked my way, slipping and falling on my backside as I did. I glanced up, heart pounding and full of hope, only to find myself severely disappointed by the neatly combed head of brown hair. I scrambled to my feet, gasping out an apology as I twisted and stretched to look behind him, letting what was likely to be harsh words filter through one ear and out the other. A signal. I was looking for a signal, just the slightest hint, that he'd been there. A broken vending machine, shattered concrete or a beat-up street sign.

After a brief moment of staring down the street and finding no evidence of his presence, I turned on my heel, ignoring the man's irritated shouts after me, and sprinted back down the pavement, past the apartment building and onwards, yelping slightly as I stepped on a small rock that lay on my path.

I reached the end of the road, stretched up on my tip toes and peered around. Bar some small groups of early leavers, the streets I could see were relatively empty, of people and of cars. Those that did pass did so at a leisurely pace, casually making their way around town in their own time, at their own speed. Sunlight, bright in the midday heat, bore down on the streets, casting shimmering reflections across the almost completely glass walls of surrounding buildings. The rain had gotten rid of the humidity that had hung on the air for the last few days, leaving the air lighter and making it easier to breathe. A gentle breeze picked up a few strands of my hair, the wind just cool enough to refresh you in the burning heat. A perfect summer day. Had it been any other day, I would have been elsewhere. Relaxed and peaceful. Free of any of the tension I felt at that moment. Shaking my head to cast out such pessimistic thoughts, I cast my gaze around, trying to pinpoint any signs of that painstakingly familiar blond hair.

I saw none.

Ignoring the pitiful sinking feeling in my stomach, I continued down the road, slowing to a jog now. The hems of the pyjamas Celty had lent me were gradually becoming tinted a light beige from the dust I had kicked up and my feet were scratched and aching. The bottom of my right foot stung where I had stepped on the rock and the heat wore me down and I felt a dizziness come over me as my energy levels dropped. There seemed to be no trace of him. Not even a slight discomfort in the atmosphere. Everything was calm, and it was painfully so. As I reached the next juncture, I slowed to a stop and my shoulders sagged, my eyes dropped to the concrete pavement and a deep sigh worked its way out of my system. I bent over, hands on knees as I attempted to catch my breath, peering at the cracks and curves of the ground beneath my feet.

I was tired.

And then, a small miracle. Lady Luck smiled on me, just once more.

It was a shout. A small cry of fear that my ears, under any normal circumstances, would never have picked up. A yelp that had me looking up so fast that my head almost snapped off my body.

And then I was running again. Running faster than before, pumping my lungs to their limits, and heart hammering violently against my ribs. It was him, I thought. It's him, it's him, it's him. That was the only thing I could think. The two words ricocheted in the confines of my head. His named echoed in my mind, over and over and over. I pushed my body to move faster, desperate to see him, to hear his voice, to hold him. It was my only wish and my only concern as I raced down that street.

I swear I have never been able to move as fast as I did in that moment. That instinct - the one that had made me stay and watch him when I first saw him; the one that had made me reach out to him after I fell in the fountain; the one that made me hold him when he narrowly avoided punching me - that pure instinct. It was that which allowed me to do it.

That very same feeling hit me like a car in that next moment. A punch to the stomach that sent my diaphragm spasming and my lungs contracting, leaving me practically wheezing and gasping for breath, more so than I already had been.

As I reached the source of the noise, I saw there was a crowd gathered. In size, it was similar to that of the first Shizuo-induced one I saw how ever many weeks ago, during the time I had first arrived in Ikebukuro. After taking a few minot seconds to catch my breath, I moved towards them, almost subconsciously, nudging and squeezing my way through the shifting wall of flesh. Someone's elbow dug into my ribs, a heeled shoe came down on my foot and a phone swung and hit the side of my face, rising above people's heads with the camera on record. I ignored the pain, eyes focussed intently in front of me.

And then I saw them. Those blond flicks of hair that stood up on the top of his head.

In that second, just briefly, it felt as if I was outside of myself, staring down like an omniscient narrator at the scene. An ordinary girl, nugatory and inconsequential, crushed in the overwhelming mêlée of flailing limbs and unmoving torsos. She was a relatively normal height for someone her age and of her ethnicity, with a dainty figure and small petite shoulders. Slightly tanned skin was covered with a loose pale blue material that hung off her body in some areas and clung to her in others. Dishevelled tawny hair, that verged on brown and appeared almost blonde in the sunlight, spilled down to her waist, long fingers with neat, curved nails that pushed against an impeding shoulder and her eyes, bright and hazel, looking up at me expectantly. As I nodded, her lips stretched into a smile that almost cracked her face in two. She opened her mouth and her lips moved, though I didn't hear any sound come out.

And then I was myself again, and the people in front had turned to look at me, some fearfully and others incredulously. I didn't care.

I could see him. He was right there in front of me, his eyes, dark and angry, scanning the crowd before locking on me. Within a split second, his expression relaxed, his eyebrows rose and his mouth opened. Suddenly, I was moving, slipping between people and gaining speed as I went. And then I was out. And I was throwing myself forward, all bare feet, messy hair and oversized pyjamas.

In that moment, I swear I felt whole. It's an old cliché, one I had never really understood, I'll admit, but it really is true. The instant I wrapped my arms around him, I was complete. That warmth, the security, the smell of nicotine and something akin to pinecones. He flooded my senses, and I pressed myself closer, laughing and crying and apologising all at once.

If the crowd was uncomfortable witnessing such a scene, then it was downright distressing for Shizuo to be a part of it. He pat my back, told me repeatedly to calm down, and that he was glad I was awake but I shouldn't be out 'like this'. When I still didn't let go, he sighed and placed his hand on my head. After a brief moment, the crowd suddenly began to disperse, and I knew instinctively that he had given them some sort of look. It had me laughing again, and I rubbed my face against what was visible of his white shirt.

As I did, I felt the fabric shift and his arms move slowly around my shoulders. His chin rested on my head and I gripped his black vest tighter, quiet now but still smiling, and still crying. As I clung to him, I felt something swell in my chest; a very commonplace warmth that made my heart ache. It was empowering, but also somewhat overbearing. It was a fire, a glow that spread throughout my torso, reaching right down to my fingertips. It made the blood rush to my cheeks and relaxed the muscles in my face. It was a pull, like magnetism, that urged me to hold onto him, to stay with him. To memorise his face and his voice and his scent. To store them away somewhere I could never forget them.

I pulled back slightly, just far enough to be able to stare lovingly at warm brown eyes. This was my love for him. I had never noticed before, but there were small flecks in his eyes. In the midst of the chocolate brown, small flicks of deep brown and a colour verging on beige dotted his irises. They flickered, going from one side of my face to the other. I understood what he felt in that moment. Hyper awareness.

We met then, lightly and briefly. Time slowed down and I drank in the moment, soaking up the details like a sponge. The brush of his lips, soft and sweet and saccharine. The slightly chapped texture of my own. He was tender, gentle. I let my eyes slide shut, focussing solely on the feeling. The smell of nicotine on his breath as it fanned across my face. My head span, my spine tingled and the places where he held me grew warmer by the second.

As we pulled apart, I realised where most of the heat had gone though. Even without seeing it myself, as soon as my eyes opened, I knew I was red. Redder than a beetroot. Redder than a tomato even. I could feel the heat radiating off my own face - that's how bad it was! I was pretty sure all the blood in my system had rushed to my face. Every last drop of it.

And he had seen it. Which made me redder. Which made it worse. A lot worse. I could barely bring myself to lift my head to look at him. But I did.

And I will forever remain thankful that I did.

Because what I saw was an equally red, equally embarrassed Shizuo staring back at me. Forgetting my own agitation momentarily, I traced the image of his face, from the beat red cheeks to the hesitant line of his lips. But mostly, I stared at his eyes, those chocolate pools that stared at me, full of energy but calm and, above all, warm. Unwavering and firm, I put all my trust in him in that moment.

And as another smile stretched my lips, I leaned up and rested my forehead against his. This feeling, I knew, would never be able to dissipate.

This was my love for him, pure and everlasting.

It would only ever grow.

**~ Chapter Word Count: 2001**

**End Comments: Whoops, that last chapter was just a smidgen shorter than I thought. I'm sorry. I felt quite bad about that, but now we've reached the actual conclusion of the story. **

**This chapter….was meant to come out around a week after that last one. But oh dear lord I've never felt so pressured to do so many things at once. Even as I write this, I'm putting off other work that needs to be done. OTL Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed and the like. I'm very glad to have been able to entertain you all over the course of these 2 years.**

…**.2 years to write one story. Guess we all know why I'm not going to become an author. Pffft. No, but seriously. That is well and truly pathetic. I promise that the next story I write won't take so long. Though when said story is posted is a completely separate matter.**

**I am honestly so sorry for how long you guys had to wait for updates. That's just—argh, let's not even go there. It is sad and pitiful and unacceptable and I promise to try and fix this by the next time (I've recently discovered something called "time-management skills" – I've yet to find where mine have hidden…)**

**On that note, here's what I'm planning on doing from now. For the **_**Mitigate **_**verse, there is going to be a continuation. My aim will be to write a set of drabbles and one shots based on themes either suggested by you guys or to complete a one-hundred theme challenge. Maybe both? Some of you suggested a sequel, but I don't think I can really carry on this particular story without messing it up. And besides, I have a better idea. How 'bout a completely new story?**

**Also, for those of you who are interested, I'm planning to re-draft this story and post it on my tumblr account as a PDF file. There may or may not be pictures for certain scenes of the story inserted as well (though that means it'll take considerably longer). So, if any of you are interested, let me know and I'll PM you the link when it's up.**

**Until next time! ~**


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